Perfect Chemistry
by biancadiangelo0703
Summary: Annabeth strives for perfect grades and a "perfect" life. Percy is lucky enough to get a C and all he sees in his future is his gang. Once they're paired up for a project, Percy is given a bet that seems almost impossible: get Annabeth to fall in love with him. But how can he do that without opening himself up too much?
1. Chapter 1

**If anyone still remembers, I did promise another Percabeth story so here it is. And also I decided not to delete my story ****Missing You**** since a lot of you really liked it. ****And yes, this is a basic copy of the book**** Perfect Chemistry.**** I know I know it isn't original this way but I'm not too creative *shrugs*. ****Anyway, here's the basic summary:**

**In this story, Uppers and Lowers rarely get along. This story will be about what happens when Upper smart rich girl Annabeth becomes chemistry partners with Lower gang member Percy. So mostly it'll be Lukabeth *gags* Percabeth, some Gruniper, and a little bit of Tratie.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters.**

_Annabeth_

Everyone knows I'm smart. Maybe it's because it seems to run in the family. My mom is an architect. My dad is a history professor at NYU. I've been working hard to keep up my status as the smartest girl in school, every school: elementary, middle, and now high school.

Standing in front of my mirror, I straightened my outfit and double-checked my appearance, hoping everything will turn out right. First day of school meant seeing my boyfriend after spending the summer apart. Hopefully, not much has changed.

"Annabeth, come down," I heard my mom yell from the front of our apartment.

"Coming," I call back. After brushing my blond hair, I headed out of my room and down the hallway to the living room. My mom is standing by the couch, scanning my outfit with her analyzing grey eyes. I straighten my posture, hoping this time she'll approve this time. It may seem silly, being a sixteen year-old and still conscious of what my mother thinks, but everything in our family needs to be perfect for her.

"Good enough," Mom told me. It was always the same. I was only just good enough. Never above her expectations.

"Good morning, Mom," i say to her before heading to the kitchen.

"I brought you your favorite muffin. A good breakfast leads to a healthier mind."

"Thanks, Mom."

As I headed to the kitchen, my younger twin brothers, Bobby and Matthew, burst through the living room.

"Boys, no running in the apartment," Mom warned, but, as usual, they ignored her. They ran past me and ran straight to the kitchen. I followed them, hoping I could grab my mufffin and leave just to eat in peace. As Bobby grabbed a Go-gurt, Matthew grabbed another and pointed it accusingly at his brother.

"Did you take my toy robot?" he demanded.

"No," Bobby answered but his voice quivered slightly. showing that he was lying.

"Give it back!" Matthew yelled. He opened his Go-gurt and squeezed it. Bobby ducked and the yogurt hit me instead, staining my white blouse.

"Oops," Matthew muttered. "Sorry, Annabeth."

"Matthew!" Mom exclaimed.

"Mom, it's ok," I assured her. "It was just an accident."

"Well, the fact that they have ADHD isn't an accident."

I sighed as I headed back to my room. Since the boys have ADHD, it made it harder for them to perform better in school. It's been my responsibility to keep the family pride and be "the genius" in my classes.

I looked at my watch to find that it was already ten minutes past seven. I needed to get out of the apartment soon or else my friend, Katie Gardner, will kill be for bringing both of us late to school. I grabbed a green scarf and left my room. Before I left the apartment, I grabbed the bag with my muffin in it.

"Love the scarf," I heard her call out. Thank God she liked something for once.

I left the building and headed to the garage where my BMW was parked. Inside, I bit into my muffin, finding that it wasn't blueberry. It was banana nut and yet it reminded me of myself; perfect on the outside, soft and crumbling on the inside.**

* * *

**

**Percy**

"Percy, wake up!" someone yelled. As I began to wake up, I recognized the voice to be my fourteen year old adopted brother, Nico.

"What do you want, Nico?" I groaned.

"Sally told me to wake you up," Nico said, referring to my mother. I knew it was the first day of school, but all I wanted was to keep on sleeping. I tried covering my head with my pillow.

"Perseus!" I heard my mom yell. "Wake up now!"

I groaned again as I forced myself to get out of bed. I headed to the bathroom and looked at myself. My black hair was sticking up everywhere and my sea green eyes still looked bloodshot. I hopped into the shower, letting the cool water wake me up.

Once I got out, I looked across to see Nico in my room holding my black and blue gang bandana. I swear I get frustrated with this kid every time he tries to follow in my footsteps. I walked over to him and snatched my bandanna away from him.

"Nico, I told you already I don't want you going through my stuff," I said to him. Nico just shrugged his shoulders, obviously not caring about whatever shit I tell him.

"I like black," he simply responded. It was true, he did wear a lot of black ever since his sister died. But that didn't give him any excuse to take my stuff or worse join the Half-Bloods like me and my dad did. If it was my choice, I would've stayed away from the Half-Bloods, but our family needed the money.

"Listen, Nico," I warned him. "Being me is nothing you want to experience. It don't matter how everyone treats me these days. Being in a gang isn't something you want to do."

With those final words, I let him go, knowing he'd be too stubborn to listen. Oh well, I warned him. But I still loved the kid as much as I love my mom.

We headed to the kitchen as Mom was setting down plates of pancakes. As much as I love Mom's cooking, I needed to get to school fast. But before I could go past the door, Mom called out to me.

"Perseus, where are you going?" she asked.

"Mom, I got to get to school," I told her.

"You've got time, Perseus," Mom pushed me towards the table. "This morning, we're going to eat together like a family. And no buts."

Looking across at Nico, I could tell he was into this as much as I was. Sighing, I sat down and tried to eat the waffles Mom had cooked.

"Why can't you just call me Percy?" I asked her.

"What's wrong your given name?" she asked back.

I tensed as she asked that question. I didn't want to tell her that I was bothered by the fact that it was my father who named me Perseus. The father that left our family, left the son that was left the idol of the father in the family.

"Percy wants to be just like a gang member," Nico replied for me. "And he's really succeedin' too. Pretendin' to be someone he's not."

"Nico!" Mom reprimanded.

My anger took over and I got out of my seat, walking straight to him. He got out of his own seat and and close the distance between us. He knew I could beat him up and yet h found the guts to confront me. This ego of his would one day get him in a hell lot of trouble. Hopefully I cold keep him away from that happening.

"Now listen, Nico," I warned him. "You have no idea what the hell I deal with everyday. Bein' a gang member isn't everythin'. And I hope that you'll learn better than to follow my footsteps. You could be a lot better than me."

"Maybe I don't want to be any better than you," he responded. "People are goin' to think that I am like you. No point in makin' them think different."

"No, Nico," I said to him. "You know you could do better than me."

Looking back at my mom, I noticed her tears and tried to give her a hug for comfort. Kissing her goodbye, I grabbed my leather jacket and headed out the door. Two guys wearing the same black bandannas made a clawed hand over their hearts and made a shoving movement towards me. I repeated the gesture back at them before I sat in my motorcycle. They wanted a tough gang member, they got one. Sometimes I play the part so well that I even surprise myself.

"Percy, wait up," a female voice called behind me. I turned to see Rachel Elizabeth Dare, my ex-girlfriend.

"Hey, Rachel," I mumbled.

"Could you give me a ride?" she asked. Before, I would've done anything for her until I found her with some other guy in his car over the summer.

"Please, Percy. I won't bite," he asked again, batting her long lashes at me. Rachel was a Half-Blood too and Half-Bloods always help each other. The flirting was totally unnecessary.

"Hop on," I told her.

She hops on and puts her hands on my waist, deliberately pressing her body against my back. Her flirting wasn't going to work on me. I'm not likely to forget the past. This year, I was determined to focus on my senior year. I knew it was going to be difficult, because after high school, my future was a big blur.

* * *

**So I combined Annabeth and Percy's POV together in this chapter. Chapter 3 and 4 are seperated. Review :)**


	2. Chapter 2

__**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

_Annabeth_

"Annabeth, stop worrying," said my friend Katie who was sitting next to me in my BMW.

"But what if I looked horrible at school today?" I argued. "Or what if one of the teachers gives me a B? Then I'm going to lose my perfect streak and I'll be ruined and I won't get into Columbia and-"

"Calm down!" Katie exclaimed. "You're going to do fine. I think you're just nervous about seeing Luke again."

I took a deep breath and thought about the picture of Luke and I in my wallet. That was part of the reason I was so stressed.

"A summer apart changes people."

"Distance doesn't matter if you really love the person," Katie reminded me. "What matters most is that your honest and trust for that relationship to work out."

"Thanks," I replied, breathing a sigh of relief.

"So, how are your brothers?"

"Annoying as usual. Mom can't stop complaining about them," I told her. Not many people understand what I go through at home. Only Katie and Luke have been to my house and seen how my brothers are so different from my family. Katie might not always understand, but she listens when I have something to say.

"Oh well," Katie said cheerfully. "Your mom will get used to it sooner or later."

As I was about to park, I almost hit a boy and a girl on a motorcycle. The girl turned out to be Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

"Watch it!" she yelled at me, giving me the finger.

Well, someone had a big bowl of bitch flakes this morning.

I quickly parked, got out of my car, and walked to the boy.

"What the hell it wrong with you?" I yelled at him. "That should've been my spot."

The guy turned around and I immediately wished I haven't said what I had. It was Percy Jackson, leader of one of the most dangerous gangs in Manhattan. He looked at me with his bright green eyes.

"You've got a problem with my driving, Wise Girl?" he asked me, his tone mocking me.

Normally, people turn and run when Percy simply looked at them. Unlike them, I wasn't ready to be bullied by him.

"Yes I do, Seaweed Brain," I shot back at him. There was some whistles from some of his fellow gang members, but I simply ignored them.

"You should watch where you're going," he said to me.

"So should you."

"You know, you need to work on your driving. I can teach you driving lessons when you're free," he said, winking at me. I scowled.

"I'm never free and I'm not interested."

"What can I do to make you interested?"

His question almost threw me off and I turned around to look at him, which was another big mistake. I could clearly see his muscles underneath his thin T-shirt. I heard he spends his weekends swimming and surfing at the Atlantic Ocean. Some girls have said he has a surfer's body, tan skin, a six pack and all. I don't normally listen to gossip, but I couldn't help wonder what was underneath his leather jacket and T-shirt.

"I'll never be interested," I finally answered, walking past him and towards the Goode High School. Katie soon followed me.

"What the hell was that?" she exclaimed. "You've earned yourself a death wish, Annabeth Chase."

"I'm not going to allow him to bully me like he does to others," I told her.

"And I'm not going to let anyone hurt my girl," said a voice behind me. I turned to see the grinning face of Luke.

"Luke!" I exclaimed, giving him a hug. Thankfully, he returned the hug.

"Annabeth, I missed you so much," he told me, giving me a small peck on the lips.

"I missed you too."

"What's this I hear about Percy Jackson talking to you?" he asked, his face getting so serious. He and Percy didn't exactly get along that much..or not at all. Just enough that they shot death glares at each other but so far they had no fights in the school hallways.

"It's nothing," I assured him. "I can take him."

"I'm not letting him get anywhere near you," he said protectively, wrapping his arm around my waist. I leaned my head on his shoulder. My fears about our relationship changing seemed to disappear and I thought this year wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

**Percy**

I always knew I'd get pulled into the principal's office sometime this year. I just didn't expect it to be on the first day of school. Now here I am, sitting in Mr. Dionysus' office, where he was going on and on and _on _about how he's going to make sure I behave. I can tell immediately that he didn't want to be here. Yeah, buddy, join the club. He kept on talking about how he's going to eliminate all the problems in this school, but the look on his face told me he was being forced to do all this.

"And I've had to hire some heavily bodied security guards, Perseus," Mr. Dionysus told me. " It's bad enough I have to deal with all of you annoying brats. So do us all a favor and try not to cause any problems."

"I haven't done anything wrong," I said to him.

"Not yet," he said. "But if you do, it'll mean I have to stay here for another five years."

I had enough of his stupid complaining. I got up from the chair I was sitting him and looked him straight in his eyes.

"Look," I said to him, trying to keep my tone calm. "Mr. Dionysus-"

"Call me Mr. D, Perseus."

"I'll call you Mr. D if you call me Percy," I snapped back. "I'm not looking for any kind of trouble."

"Then what about that incident with Annabeth Chase?"

Oh great. Little Miss Einstein probably ratted out to Mr. D that I must've talked to her. I smirked at the thought of her. As if me almost getting hit by her car and simply telling her to improve her driving was worth telling the principal. Just like a typical rich genius.

"Who told you about that?"

"Luke Castellan."

Okay, scratch that. Her rich superstar boyfriend ratted out to the principal, getting all protective over his little princess. Well, sooner or later, he'll learn not everything is his.

"What happened with Annabeth," I replied carefully. "Was a big...misunderstanding. I'm sure someone as smart as Annabeth would realize that."

"Well, Percy," said Mr. D. "Make sure you won't make any more 'misunderstandings'. You understand?"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay then. Return to your next seventh period class."

I left Mr. D's office, glancing at my schedule. Greek. I smiled to myself. Finally, a class where I can actually pass. I could finally put hose Greek words and knowledge of Greek history into use. This should be fun.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Characters go to Rick Riordan and plot goes to Simone Elkeles**_  
_

* * *

_Annabeth_

I sat next to Luke while waiting for class to start. Most of the students were already here, but some were still missing and a majority of them were gang members. My mind kept wandering off to my brothers and I wondered how they were doing. Also, I kept worrying about Percy; I had no intention of him bullying me and ruining my relationship with Luke. I can only hope that I can somehow avoid him for the rest of the year.

Speaking of the devil, Percy walked in the class and the other gang members greeted him in Greek and patted him on the back. The rest of the students filed in just as the late bell rang. The teacher, Mr. Brunner, walked into the room and students scrambled to sit down next to their friends. Mr. Brunner raised his eyebrows.

"I am well aware that you are all seniors and that this is your last year, perhaps the last year you can spend with your friends. Unfortunately for you, I already picked your partners for you," he announced and there were groans and complaints from the students. I sighed because I was also hoping that I could spend at least one class sitting next to my boyfriend. He held up a hand to silence us.

"There will be no exceptions and no switches," he said, taking out a clipboard and he began calling names. "Silena Beauregard, Luke Castellan, sit in the first table on my left."

I frowned as Luke got up and he shrugged apologetically. Silena got up from her seat and muttered "sorry" as she passed by me. Mr. Brunner continued listing names and I ignored him until I heard my name being called.

"Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson."

My mouth dropped open in shock. Crap, crap, crap. This couldn't be happening. Oh gods, anybody but him. I turned around to look at Percy and he was smirking at me in amusement. I scowled and headed to my seat. it wasn't long before he sat down next to me.

"Excited to see me so soon, _etaíros_ (partner)?"

"Shut up."

"Why you gotta be so mean? Is it because of this morning?"

"You took my spot and I was almost late to class."

"You're the one who almost ran me over," he countered. Ugh, can't this guy just leave me alone.

"Well, I apologize so you need to get over it. We're gonna be stuck with each other for the rest of the year," he pointed out. Don't remind me.

"Don't you dare try to pull a move on her Jackson," I heard Luke warn Percy. He and Silena were seated in front of us. "Or else I swear to the gods, I'm gonna make you regret it."

"What the hell are you gonna do? The same stupid stunt you pulled on me freshman year? Your threats are lame."

"Guys stop it," I try to warn them, but they're too busy glaring at each other, blue eyes to green. You can practically feel the tension and slice it with a knife.

"Boys, that's enough. School is no place for petty arguments," Mr. Brunner said sternly. Luke scowled and turned away. Oh, boy this will be a long year.

* * *

**Percy**

I have no idea what Chase sees in Luke. He's an ugly, annoying douche that can't mind his own business. Well, I'm a douche too but it's all just an act that I need to keep up as a Half-Blood leader. All Castellan thinks about is himself and being the best in everything. He's captain of the fencing team, he has perfect grades, perfect girlfriend. It makes me sick. So I'm going to have my revenge by taking it out on his little girlfriend. Plus Annabeth is annoying too. She probably thinks she's better than all of us Lowers which is exactly what all the Uppers think.

"Now since we are don't know each other that well yet, I want you and your partner to talk about yourselves to each other. Talk about anything: school, hobbies, friends, anything. When I say that time is up, you're going to stand up in front of the entire class and introduce your partner to the class. Please start now."

I sighed and turned to face Annabeth. She didn't look too happy to talk to me either. It sucks how we're going to be stuck with each other for the rest of the year.

"Why don't you start? I've heard a lot about you and your drug-dealing habits," Annabeth said dryly. I scowled. Typical for an Upper to assume that I do drugs.

"Why don't you go? I'd love to hear all about your fancy trips to the Bahamas and your shopping habits," I said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes.

"Not everyone Upper loves to shop."

"Not every Lower does drugs."

"Fine, what did you do during the summer?" she asked. All I did was spend time at the beach and hang out with fellow gang members.

"You know, rob apartments, run from the cops, terrorize the streets of Manhattan," I lied. She sighed.

"Look, if you're not going to take this seriously, then let's do something else," she said, pulling out her notebook and handing it to me.

"What, do you want me to write my number in it?" I teased. She glared at me with her intense grey eyes. If looks could kill, I think she'd be strangling me now.

"No. Just write anything in my notebook and I'll write in yours. When time's up, we'll switch and we'll read aloud what we wrote. Got it Seaweed Brain?"

"Understood, Wise Girl."

We exchanged notebooks and started writing. When Mr. B said that time was up, we exchanged notebooks. At first, Annabeth didn't look at what I wrote. I smirked, thinking about how she would react once she reads what I wrote. I glance at my notebook and quickly read what she wrote. She mostly wrote about how she spent the summer reading and taking care of her brothers. If she wasn't doing that, she was spending time with other Uppers. I almost feel bad because she actually tried putting in some effort while I didn't. I was about to ask her if I could have her notebook back to add things, but Mr. Brunner called us up. I sucked in a deep breath, waiting for Annabeth to go first. She opened the notebook and stared in horror at what I wrote. Her face started to turn red, her grey eyes were wide open, and her mouth dropped open like a fish out of water. Screw feeling sorry, her reaction was _anektímitos_ (priceless).


	4. Chapter 4

**disclaimer: i own nothing except for my own twists and turns. most credit goes to Simone Elkeles and Rick Riordan**

* * *

**Percy**

Okay, it might've been out of line to write in her notebook **You and me. Saturday night, at the beach, alone. Swimming lessons and blowjob sessions from 5-10pm** but I was totally dying to see Little Miss _Idiofyia _(Genius) stumble over how to solve this problem.

"Annabeth," Mr. Brunner called.

"Yes?" she asked, looking from the notebook to Mr. Brunner with those innocent grey eyes of her. Oh, she was good at hiding her real emotions and thoughts. I'd know; I've done it before.

"Introduce Percy to the class," Mr. Brunner instructed.

I could practically see the gears in her mind working as she tried to come up with a false story. I looked straight at her stormy grey eyes, saying with my own _Hit me with your best shot_.

"This is Perseus Jackson," she spoke to the class, her voice ringing clearly throughout the room. My mouth turned into a small smirk as she said my given name. "This summer, when he wasn't at the beach surfing the Atlantic or hitting on girls in bikinis, he was with his gang, terrorizing Manhattan."

Bitch. This little _prinkipissa (_princess) with her curly blonde hair and stunning grey eyes thought she knew me Girl, you've got it all wrong.

"His secret dream," she said, getting all of our classmates to lean in on listen this "secret". I was pretty sure this was another lie, but I was intrigued to listen on what she assumed. "Is to be a Greek teacher like you, Mr. Brunner."

I could hear snickers coming from my friends. I looked behind me to see my friend and neighbor Juniper smiling as if it was funny to see a smartass rich Upper diss me in front of the class. Mr. Brunner said it was my turn. Oh, this was going to be fun.

"This is Annabeth Chase," I spoke, getting everyone hooked. "When she wasn't studyin' for future exams all day and rereadin' classic novels all night, she was 'practicing her chemistry' with her boyfriend, I mean boyfriends."

Catcalls and whistles were made by my friends and Annabeth turned her furious, stormy grey eyes at me. Oh well, my introduction probably had more truth in it that hers.

"Her secret desire," I said again, the room getting so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. "Is to be taught Greek by an _empeirognomona _(expert) because her Greek needs a little work so she needs help from someone. Someone like me."

Mr. Brunner peered at me with his dark brown eyes. I swear those eyes could see right through me.

"Very..interesting introductions, Miss Chase and Mr. Jackson, meet me at the end of class."

"I'm extremely disappointed in the two of you," Mr. Brunner admitted to us after class. Annabeth was looking away from me, her golden curls blocking her face and preventing me from looking at her expression.

"I expected better from the two top students of the junior Greek class."

"What?" Annabeth exclaimed, obviously surprised at this. "He has the second highest average in Greek?"

"Yes, Annabeth, he does," Mr. Brunner answered her, acting as if it was no big deal that a Lower was ranked closely to her. We may not be as rich as the Upppers, but we've learned to fight for ourselves and that includes survive high school with passable grades. I just managed to excel higher than most Lowers.

"I won't stand to see disrespect in my class," Mr. Brunner said to us, holding a blue detention slip and two sheets of looseleaf. "I'm giving you the options to either have after-school detention with me or write an essay on how the Greeks viewed respect."

I took the detention slip while she took the looseleaf. Of course. Oh well, Mr. Brunner didn't seem all bad.

"In the world, you must learn to deal with people that you don't like. It's best to deal with that situation now. Now get to your next class."

After getting a pass, I followed behind Annabeth. She noticed me and sighed.

"Stop following me," she said to me, turning around to see if anyone

spotted us together.

As if I'm Hades himself.

"Relax," I said to her. "You worry too much."

"Well, too much is at stake."

"Like what? Your so-called boyfriend catchin' you with someone like me? I can handle him."

"Luke will kill you if he thinks that way."

"Let the _bastardos _(bastard) try and get me then."

Annabeth double-checked to see if anyone was around and when the coast was clear, she slapped my cheek. It didn't hurt, but it still surprised me. Consequences for any sign of violence in school was detention and I knew she had a perfectly clean record she wouldn't want to screw up.

"What in Hades was that for?" I asked.

"For making fun of my boyfriend, _kopanos _(jerk)," she said in a matter-of-fact way. I got tired of playing nice with this girl. I stepped close to her while she stepped far back. I smiled at the thought of her being intimidated by me.

"Scared that you're so incredible boyfriend isn't here to protect you?" I taunted her. Surprising me once more, she looked into my eyes with her intense grey ones.

"He'd kill you if he had the opportunity," she said bravely, but I wanted this girl to have reason to fear me. I stepped even closer, backing her up into the wall. I brought my lips near her neck and heard her slightly gasp. I knew she wasn't expecting me to be this close to her. Hell, I didn't even understand why I was so close. I brought my mouth up to her ear.

"Listen very closely, " I whispered to her, gladly noticing the shivers that she began to make. "You don't need to be afraid. Gettin' near the water doesn't really mean you'll drown."

"YEA, PERCY. FUCK THAT BITCH HARD!"

I lifted my head and saw my friend and fellow gang member Connor Stoll giving me that twisted grin he gets normally after he pulled some prank. Guess yelling out to the whole school was technically his idea of a prank.

Unfortunately, Connor wasn't our only audience.

"Get the hell away from her, Jackson," Luke called from across the hallway, striding towards us. Annabeth quickly walked past me and met her stupid boyfriend. When he kept trying to walk towards me, she tried to pull him away.

"Luke, it's okay," she tried to tell him. "I can handle him myself."

"He needs to learn," he insisted, shaking away from her grip. "He needs to learn that you're mine."

"You never know," I said casually, leaning against the wall. "She might be tempted to find someone else."

That definitely raised his temper. He looked like the Minotaur, his face red in rage, his body positioned as if he'd charge me down. Two guys appeared behind him, one of them Travis Stoll,trying to talk some sense into him. Even my own friends, Grover and Connor, ended up behind me. Grover patted me on my back.

"_Tì enai kalo _(everything good)?" he asked me.

I looked at Annabeth, staring straight in her grey eyes. They were storm clouds again and they just seemed so...mesmerizing.

"Yeah, everything's _megálos _(great)," I replied.

To Annabeth, I said, "We'll meet again, _etaìros _(partner)."

Before I turned around and left with my friends, I was able to glimpse Annabeth giving me the finger. Gods she's annoying.

_Annabeth_

"My gods, Greek must've been torture," Katie said to me as we were heading to architecture. We were both on the architecture and chemistry club. I was head of both of them.

"It's not my fault he's my partner," I reminded her. "Gods, got to find a way to tell my mom without her freaking out."

"Well, don't end up like my cousin," Katie warned.

"Why? What happened to her?" I asked. Liliana Jovan is a straight A student and attending Columbia University majoring in biology.

"She used to date Garret Green, a gang member," she explained, grabbing some tools for possible projects. "Apparently, Garret was popular in the gang. All the girls in it hated her and he didn't do much about it. Even most of her friends stopped talking to her. She was practically an outcast. Thank the gods she broke up with him."

I could only nod in agreement. I didn't want that to happen to me. I kept assuring myself I have Luke, but a nagging feeling in my mind keeps telling me that there's still a possibility of it happening.

"Oh, I hate to be a constant bad news, but rumors say that Rachel's looking for you," warned Katie. I slapped my palm on my forehead.

_"Gamóto. Theoí, na me voithísei _(Damn it. Gods help me)_," _I prayed. Rachel Elizabeth Dare was known for a snappy attitude. She also liked to make it well known that Percy was hers. Most Half-bloods were a bit territorial about each other, especially boyfriends and girlfriends.

"Hey, Annabeth, Katie," a voice called. I turned to see the familiar face of Malcolm Greyson, my junior "_adelfós" _(brother) and co-captain of the chemistry team. I forced a smile on my face as he approached us.

"Hi, Malcolm," I greeted, playfully ruffling his hair. "How was your summer?"

"Okay," he said, trying to straighten his hair and glaring at me with his dark grey eyes. Sometimes, Malcolm and I were called _dídyma _(twins) because we both had blond hair, grey eyes, top of our classes, and both took architecture.

"What's up with the rumors I keep hearing about you and Percy Jackson?" he asked me, observing me a little too closely.

"Well, nothing is going on, I can tell you that. We're just Greek partners," I reassured him. "Besides, shouldn't we be heading to architecture now? Before Mr. Stanton kills us for being late?"

"Stanton wouldn't kill his architecture captain," Katie reminded. "But I do hope he'll let us build some miniature greenhouses or something. I need a place to keep my _polýtima louloúdia _(precious flowers)_."_

We headed down the hallway up to Room 423 where the architecture team met Mondays and Wednesdays. In the room, seniors, sophomores and juniors were already sitting in desks. Some wore the Half-Blood bandanna and others were dressed as regular Uppers. Gang members Jake Mason, Beckendorf, and Juniper Green were talking with each other until we came into the room. I hope they weren't talking about the disaster in Greek. They might be mad about someone insulting their gang leader in public. There haven't been any serious fights between Uppers and Lowers. We mostly stuck to our own groups and only mingled with others when necessary.

"Well, if it isn't the little know-it-all who made fun of Percy earlier," said Jake Mason, glaring at me with burning eyes of coal. "Why don't we _didáxoun tis na min cháos me to Half-aímata _(teach her not to mess with the Half-Bloods)?"

"Shut up, Jake," warned Juniper. "If you get caught, you'll end up suspended. Besides, what would your mom say if she found out about you picking fights on Uppers?"

At the reminder, Jake lowered his intense gaze away from me. I sighed in relief and gave Juniper a silent thank you with my eyes. At that moment, Mr. Stanton came into the room. His light brown hair was streaked with more grey hair than last year, but he still looked like the same busy, man that was the head teacher of the architecture team for the past three years.

"Okay guys, welcome back. Annabeth, Katie, Malcolm, take a seat," he told us. We sat as far away from the senior Lowers as possible.

"So, as you know, 9/11 is coming up," Mr. Stanton said to us, removing his glasses and cleaning them furiously. It was a nervous habit and I've seen him do it whenever 9/11 was near. His wife used to work in the Twin Towers and was one of the injured victims. She was able to evacuate quickly, but pieces of debris and concrete landed on her head and gave her a permanent brain injury.

"9/11 was a tragic event for all of us, especially those here in Manhattan," he resumed. "Hundreds of thousands of people died and this memory still haunts some today. If only people had even considered thinking that the Twin Towers could be hit by jet fuel, so many lives could have been spared."

Malcolm raised his hand.

"Yes, Malcolm?"

"What does 9/11 have to do with what we're going to do?"

Impatient as always, I thought. Oh well. He's young; he'll learn.

"The Twin Towers were once considered indestructible, but the Titanic was also considered unsinkable. I want you to plan some designs of an impenetrable building complete with a backup plan. Just in case something goes wrong, like how the Twin Towers didn't have a backup for a plane crash filled with jet fuel."

While others began drafting, Mr. Stanton waved me over to him. Once I approached him, he gestured to the group of sophomores, juniors, and seniors who just started architecture this year.

"Why don't you help explain the basics in drafting?"

"Sure."

Rummaging through my book bag, I took out my own detailed copy of the Parthenon. It wasn't the actual building; it was more of a sketch that explained the structures and how it supported the building. I hung it in front of the chalkboard.

"Does anyone know what building this is?" I asked the new architects. A few hands shot up, including the group of seniors. I picked Beckendorf to answer.

"It's the Parthenon," he answered.

"Correct," I said, gesturing to the sketch. "This drawing of the Parthenon shows how each structure is made and how it supports the building. I want you to copy this down and study it. It'll help to understand how to draw and build your own supportive buildings."

The group took out pencils and began to copy the sketch into their notebooks. I observed the group as they copied. Most of the sophomores and juniors kept glancing at the drawing before continuing to copy. On the other hand, Juniper glanced a lot less and Jake and Beckendorf only took a long glance and spent the rest of the time drawing.

When time was up, I called everyone to stop and walked around to check the drawings. Being younger and less experienced, the sophomores and juniors had accurate but slightly distorted drawings. Practice makes perfect. Looking at the seniors, all three had drawings almost exactly the same as the Parthenon. I looked at Junipers and noticed lightly shaded marks near the side of the Parthenon.

"Juniper, what are the shaded areas on your drawing?" I asked.

"Oh, those were supposed to be sun beams," Juniper replied, looking a little flustered.

"Explain."

"Well, if the Parthenon was built in such a way, sunlight would directly hit the roof. The idea was kind of based on a greenhouse."

I smiled at the concept. Juniper could turn out to be a really bright architect.

"That's smart thinking, Juniper," I praised. "Keep those ideas and you could even turn out to be a greenhouse builder."

The bell rang, signaling the end of the architecture meeting. The sophomores and juniors packed up quickly and were out the door in a few minutes. Kate and Malcolm tried to wait for me at the door, but I told them to go ahead and help Mr. Stanton clean up a little. It turned out Juniper was still in the room as well. Juniper has light brown hair the color of amber and eyes the color of summer leaves. Her black and green Half-blood bandanna was tied in her hair like a headband and strands of amber were tucked behind her slightly pointed ears. People used to call her a _xotikó _(elf)_, _but she would look into her bully's' eyes and those vivid green eyes of hers scared them away.

"You really think I could be a potential greenhouse architect?" she asked me. I nodded.

"You really have great ideas," I told her. "Aren't you taking chemistry this year too?"

"Yep. I hope to be either a greenhouse builder or the scientist to find the solution to global warming," she told me. I tried giving her a smile, but my mind was still thinking about Percy and Rachel. She probably noticed how nervous I might have looked.

"Don't worry about Rachel," she assured. "She likes to talk _skatá _(shit)_, _but she's not much of a _machitís _(fighter)."

"So she is looking for me."

"Probably."

I groaned. I had enough on my plate and I didn't need to add Rachel to it.

"_Min anisycheíte _. Don't worry. She won't try to hurt you in public."

"Juniper, aren't you in my Greek class?"

"Yea."

"And, do you know Percy well?"

"Yea, why?"

"Is he usually such a..."

"_Maláka _(Asshole)_?"_

I could only nod. Juniper shouldered her messenger bag, looking as if she was deciding whether or not to tell me.

"You don't really have to answer," I assured her, slowly heading to the door.

"No, it's OK. To be honest, Percy is really a nice guy if you get to know him," Juniper admitted.

"Then why does he act so mean at times?" I asked.

"Trust me when I say he wasn't like that when he wasn't a gang leader," she answered. Her eyes looked honest enough, but it puzzled me that she would give this information to an Upper.

"Juniper, why are you telling me all this?" I asked.

"I don't like to judge people because of how they appear. Percy asks like a _kópanos _(jerk), but he does it for his gang and for his _oikogéneia _(family),"_s_he answered, looking right into my grey eyes as if she could see through my "perfect student" act. "I'm not sure if we can be friends, but I have a feeling that I can trust you. Don't prove me wrong."

With those words, she headed out of the room. No, we might not be friends, but I can tell we won't be enemies either.

* * *

When I met up with Katie and Malcolm, Katie was texting and talking to Malcolm simultaneously. Before I could tell them that we should go, we heard someone call us.

"Guys, wait up," Silena called, looking as if she came straight from cheer-leading practice. She was still wearing her short cheerleader skirt, her pom-poms were clearly visible from her messenger bag, and her blond hair was tied in a loose ponytail. She still looked like the same preppy, cheerful, and sweet girl that almost all guys drooled over.

"What is it, Silena?" I asked her.

"I saw Luke coming from fencing," she informed me. "He wants you to wait for him."

I glance at my watch and notice that it's a quarter to six. The boys' new babysitter, Breanna, must still be there and I should go help her. Matthew and Bobby had a reputation for getting rid of their babysitters in less than a day.

"I can't," I apologized. "I've got to get home. It's getting late."

"Travis texted me," Katie perked up. "He's inviting us over for some pizza."

"I can come," Silena said, "I've got no plans anyways since Michael went straight home after archery. Apparently, he's preparing for some upcoming archery tournament and he's spending more time with his bow than with me."

"And you're not bothered by it?" Malcolm asked. Silena just shrugged as if she couldn't care any less.

"It bothers me a bit I guess. Just as long as dick is still intact after this whole archery stuff."

I took that opportunity to look for my keys. Silena was a good friend and all, but it can be a bit annoying hearing her talk about dicks and sex. I really couldn' care less about her sex life with her several boyfriends. In my opinion, it's just wrong since she has a major crush on Beckendorf. Since he's a gang member, they obviously can't be together. So, she just uses guys when she can't have him. I'll admit I'm still a virgin. Personally, I think having sex before you're married is stupid. You see girls getting pregnant just because the guy was careless enough to forget about a condom. Besides, it'll all just lead to unwanted heartbreak.

Taking out my keys, I told everyone I was heading home. Since Katie said she's getting a ride from Travis, I was able to drive home alone. It didn't bother me; I like to be alone at times. I'm able to clear my head that way.

My peaceful time alone didn't last. As I approached the door, I could faintly hear yelling. I opened the door to find schoolbooks scattered on the floor, two backpacks lying on the floor and a sweater hanging on a bookshelf. Matthew and Bobby sped past me. I grabbed each by the hand and pulled them into a hug.

"Hey, you little rascals," I greeted them. "You been giving Breanna a hard time?"

They shook their heads, but I raised my eyebrows at them. They slowly nodded. I looked up to see Breanna standing by the bookshelf. Her brown hair hung loosely by her face which expressed weariness and exhaustion. I gave her a sympathetic look.

"My mom told me that you could leave when I got home," I told her. She gave me a tired smile and quickly left.

After helping the boys with their homework and preparing them dinner, I grabbed my own dinner and began to work on my homework. I just finished my respect paper for Mr. Brunner when Luke finally called.

"Hey, Luke."

"Hey. Why didn't you come to Travis' place?"

"I had to get home and help the new babysitter. Why, you didn't have a good time?"

"Not as much fun as I would have if you were there."

"Oh, why?"

I haven't talked to Luke as often as I wanted to last summer. I wanted to hear him say something sweet. To hear him say that he loves me and he misses me. I want to know how important I am to him.

"You know, we've never had phone sex."

Well, that wasn't exactly romantic or anything I expected. I mentally sighed.

"Luke, I don't want to do this tonight."

"Why not? Come on, Annabeth, think of it as practice before we do the real thing. Just take off your shirt, touch yourself, and tell me what you're doing. It'll totally turn me on."

"I don't know, Luke. I don't think I'm ready."

"It's okay. I understand."

"You mad?"

"No, it's just...I wanted to spice up our relationship. I mean, I've been doing so much this summer. You know, surfing, skateboarding, sports, things that make your heart pound."

"I know."

"Annabeth?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to feel that way. I want to feel that adrenaline rush. With you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the long wait but all your reviews kept me going :) Thanks to those who reivewed last chapter listopian (thanks for reviewing 3 times :) Damon-salvatore-lover15, MeatloafGreaserFilms, GothicNicoLuver, Poseidon's Fave Daughter, Alexandra Nightshade, candy0304, FantasyFan86, anonymous, percabeth13, Riley Coyote, listopian, iluvfantasy, ihatemakingupusernames, LovesWritingJ, Mojo8096, The Daughter of the Greek Gods, and DaughterOfPoseidonxD (you should've read the chapter faster so I would've updated sooner xD)**

**By the way, sometimes I don't know when, but my parents are going to cut the cable :O meaning I might update late. but I'll give my notebook to my beta (she goes to my school) and hopefully, she'll have time to edit and post for me. Keep reviewing guys and now I'll shut up so you can read.**

* * *

_Annabeth_

"Today, you'll be starting projects that will be due by November," Mr. Brunner told the class, wheeling down the row while holding a hat in his hand. "You'll be picking your projects from this hat."

Luke raised his hand. "What about fencing?There's a tournament coming up and we can't miss practice."

"We can't miss architecture either," Katie added.

"Schoolwork is just as important as extracurricular activities," he said. "You'll have to make a schedule that suits you and your partner."  
When it was my turn to pick, the paper titled ILIAD.

"What the fuck does that say?" Percy asked, peering over my shoulder. Across the room, Luke scowled.

"Can't even read," he remarked. "Don't worry, Jackson, my aunt's a teacher. I bet she can teach you your ABCs."

Instead of laughing along with the rest of the Uppers, that really hurt me. My brothers have dyslexia, preventing them from reading properly and they have trouble catching up in school.

"Percy, please rephrase the question using proper language. Luke, it's rude to make fun of a fellow colleague's disabilities," Mr. Brunner reprimanded, looking at both of them with intense dark eyes. "Being in a wheelchair has given me my own experiences."

"Ok, Mr. B," Percy said, nodding his head, actually looking respectfully at him. Whoa, Percy Jackson, the guy who didn't care about school or teachers, paying a teacher respect? "So, what exactly is the Iliad?"

"The Iliad is a set of poems written by the Greek poet Homer set during the Trojan War."

"Set of poems, huh? Bet Homer was a player with the ladies," remarked Percy, giving me a wink. I returned it with a scowl.

"You two be nice," warned Mr. Brunner.

"Oh, I'll be very nice, Mr. B," he promised. As soon as Mr. Brunner walked far enough from hearing distance, I snapped at the "Big Bad Gangster".

"_Diastrevló_ (pervert)."

"_Tsoúla_ (slut)."

"_Malákas_ (asshole)."

"_Skýla_ (bitch)."

"_Bástardos_ (bastard)."

It was a harmless insult, but, just for a second, I could see in those eyes that it had wounded him. The bright green had turned as dark as a storming sea and I could almost see past the cool facade he normally pulled off so easily. However, he quickly recovered and whatever emotion he felt at all disappeared.

"_Dorodokía kathigités syntrofiás _(bribing teachers pet)."

Before I could slap him, the bell came to rescue him. I left, fuming in anger. He thinks he knows everything, thinking that I'm at the top of my class because I bribed my way up. Well, unlike him, I actually worked hard to get where I am now. I bet he pays other people to do his own homework while busy with that Half-Blood gang of his. There was a soft voice in my head that whispered, _If you assume stuff about him, what makes you any better than him?_ In a way, that was true, but some of this stuff must be true. Right?

"Hey, I heard Fish Face was giving you a hard time," Luke said behind me. As I turned, he gave me a small smile and planted a small kiss on my forehead. At first I thought it was sweet until I saw him glancing at something or someone behind us. I turned again to see his eyes on Silena talking to some of her friends, wearing a very short skirt that showed her long legs. Is Luke checking out Silena?

Before I could even ask, he gave one of his dazzling smiles that always made me feel weak to my knees.

"If he ever gives you a hard time, you tell me and I'll personally beat the crap out of him."

He leaned in to kiss me, but before he could, Percy decided to interject.

"No PDA. School rules," he said, pushing himself between us.

"Since when did you start caring about school rules?" scoffed Luke.

"Since she became my Greek partner," Percy snapped back, closing in on Luke so that he was inches away.

"Listen, Jackson. She may be your partner, but she's still mine."

"Actually, Castellan, she's yours until Greek comes in. Then, she's mine. And who know? Maybe one time she'll wake up and realize I'm the better guy than you."

"That will never happen even if I had to choose between Tartarus or you," I said to Percy.

"See, _prinkípissa _(princess)_, _it starts as denial. Then, as you spend more time with me, you'll end up falling hard for me."

"Over my dead body in the Underworld."

Percy shook his head and turned around to walk down the hallway. "Your loss, Wise Girl. But remember, I'm available when you decide you want me."

**Percy**

Lunch I was leaning on some tree in the school courtyard. Normally, most students would stay outside until October but us Lowers would rather take it as much sun and fresh air as possible.

Takin' a couple of cigarettes and beers from Pollux, I felt looser, more relaxed. Grover's been saying I've been smoking and drinking a lot lately but whatever, I'll live. I was enjoyin' the peaceful mood, away from all the messed up shit I was in when Connor decided to ruin it, sittin' next to me, balancing a tray on one hand and holding a can of whipped cream in the other.

"Yo, Perce, I dare you to spray this whipped cream all over Mr. D," he coaxed, waving the can in my face. I slapped it aside so hard that it hit him in the face with a loud BANG! I shrugged lazily as he sat up rubbing his face.

"Your fault, man," I reminded him. "No way in hell am I gonna get in trouble for a cheap trick like that."

"Geez, you need to lighten up," he said, punching my arm. "I know the perfect cure. Why don't you get some hot sex from some chick? Like your Greek partner, Annabeth?"

"What the fuck? You tryin' to get your leader killed?" I snapped at him. He flinched a little as I questioned his loyalty. Sure Annabeth was smokin' hot but she's a smokin' hot rich bitch.

"What, you scared by Scar over there?" he coaxed as he regained his cockiness, nodding to where Castellan and Little Miss _Idiofyía _(Genius) were sitting in the cafeteria with other Uppers. Probably bein' praised for bein' "Best Couple of the Year". Seein' Castellan put his arm around her waist and not too far from her ass made me _árrostos _(sick).

"Had him for PE last year. He ain't got _skatá_ (shit) compared to this _ánthropos_ (man)," I reassured, leaning back on the tree with my arms over my head.

"You still pissed at him for trashin' your freshman locker after you beat his ass at fencing?"  
Hades yeah I'm still pissed. I told my mom not to worry about it, but she insisted on using up her salary to buy new school supplies. I'm never going to forgive him for that.

"Thing of the past," I said instead, keeping up my cool facade.

"Well, that 'thing of the past' sure has one hell of a chick," whistled Connor, his eyes on Annabeth or, in particular, her ass.

"Who the hell would want her?"

"Every single guy in this school. Includin' you."

Hell no. I hated chicks who started drama. Especially rich Upper drama queens who think they're the shit.

"I'm not interested in gettin' into those designer pants of hers," I replied, lazily putting my bandanna over my eyes. But Connor had the báles (balls) to swipe it outta my eyes.

"You kiddin' me Jackson. Just look at her."

I gave her a glance. Long, golden curls. Grey eyes that looked like storm clouds when she's angry or thinking. A tan that made you think she's from Cali and not NYC. Designer clothes that showed her curves, making every guy want her and girls want to be her. A gray scarf probably professionally dyed to match her eyes. A perfect smile that could light up your mood any day.

"I don't go for blonds," I muttered, grabbing my bandanna back. But he didn't take my word for it.

"You know you want her," he insisted. "You just know that, like any other Lower, you can't have her."

Even though I knew it was probably true, I bet it wouldn't be that difficult to get perfect _prinkípissa _Annabeth to want me.

"I bet my RX-7 you couldn't get into her pants by Thanksgiving break," he joked, a mischievous glint in his sky blue eyes.

Before I could say anything against it, Grover approached us with a tray of cheese enchiladas bein' the vegetarian he is.

"What's up, guys?" he asked us cheerfully, also the optimist.

"Just jokin' around. I bet Percy my car that he can't get in Annabeth's pants by Thanksgiving break."

"You crazy, Percy?" A bet like that is suicide."

"Chill, Grover," I glared at him. It was crazy yeah but not suicide.

"Why can't you go to some girl like… Zoë Nightshade?" Grover suggested, looking desperate to stop me. When he mentioned her name, Zoë walked by us smacking Grover and Connor's head with one of her notebooks.

"Shut up, Grover Underwoord. I'm not a prize to be won. Oh, hi Percy," she said to me. She couldn't stand boys but she knows me well enough to know I'm not always a jerk. Just most of the time.

"Hey, Zoë," I replied, giving her a small nod.

"Why she hit us and not you?" Grover complained, rubbin' his head.

"Whatever," Connor muttered. "So you in?"

"Heck yeah. I bet in two months I could get her in my pants."

"If you lose, I get Blackjack."

Blackjack's my prized Honda Nighthawk that I rescued from a junkyard and turned into a sweet ride. It was probably the only thing I managed to fix instead of destroy.

"So is it a bet?" Connor asked, holding out his hand.

I would've backed down but thing is, I never backed down before. I wasn't gonna start today. I shook his hand.

"It's a bet."

* * *

**Yay I finally updated at least a week before usual. Sorry I kept you guys waiting but I've had a hard time putting all this together. Hope the wait was worthwhile and that the Greek was understandable. Reviews make my day! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Awesome 110 reviews! thanks to blackbutterfly21, styx-gal, kellypr, whichamacallit5, TheFoundHero, ELMO-fAN cLUB MeMbER, jahfreenalam, JayJay-Lynn, Alexandra Nightshade, DaughterOfPoseidonxD, KitKatCyn, PJOWiseGirl , Huntress of the sky, candy0304, iluvfantasy, lovestories, BlueCottonCandy839, listopian, The Daughter of the Greek Gods, Damon-salvatore-lover15, and Annabethchaserox13 for reviewing and those who added me as fav authors/fav story and followed me and/or my story :) you guys made me feel so encouraged to hurry and finish this chapter that i tried finishing it in ELA class :D ill try to edit the chapters so the english words are beside the greek ones. so enjoy this chapter! (sorry if i bore anyone with the fighting scene).  
**

* * *

**Percy**

"You finished with that Honda yet?" Beckendorf called me.

"Yeah," I called back. I was helping my cousin Beckendorf with his auto shop so I could gain some extra money for the family.

"Good, 'cause the guy who owns it keeps nagging at me to finish it."

" A Half-Blood?"

"Yea, a friend of Ares."

After screwing the last bolt to the tire, I grabbed my towel to wipe off the dirt and sweat from my face.

"This whole gang thing. Sometimes I wished I wasn't the leader. Sometimes, I wish…you know," I trailed off, wanting to say that I wish I didn't get myself into this shit.

He nodded in understanding. "Yeah, sometimes I feel the same way. But you better not have Ares catching you questioning your loyalty to the Half-Bloods."

Ares is the ultimate leader of the Demigods. Lemme explain. The Demigods are divided into groups, the Hunters and the Half-Bloods. The group I lead is the Half-Bloods while Zoe leads the Hunters. Ares decides what territories we get, any fight we have to get into that involves more than two groups overall. He's a decent guy, but he likes tough, loyal fighters. If he thinks you have the slightest thought of leaving, you're as good as dead.

Suddenly, Connor's RX-7 raced through the garage door with Connor driving and Rachel in the back. Her eyes looked bloodshot from whatever alcohol she was drinking this time and her messy red hair showed that she was probably fooling around with someone. I knew pretty well what Rachel looks like when she's been fooling around with someone.

"Yo, Beckendorf, close the door. _I astynomía_ (the police) are after us," Connor yelled, slurring a little and stumbled slightly as he got out of his car.

"Fuck guys, what the hell did you do this time?" Beckendorf asked them while pressing the button to close the door. He finally saved up enough money to open up this shop last month and if this place received bad publicity, he'll be forced to shut down.

Before Connor could answer, sirens blared outside the garage. Beckendorf killed all the lights and we ducked down to the floor. A beam of light shined through the window and passed by when the police assumed they couldn't find what they were looking for. Once the sound of sirens faded, I decided it was safe to get up and start talking.

"Okay, Connor. So again, what the fuck happened?"

"Well, Chris in the back decided it'd be oh so hilarious to try to shoot an Olympian's ass. Then again, it's one of things he'd do when he's drunk."

"Dude, when you're drunk, you're no better."

"Well, it was pretty hilarious to see that Olympian newbie yelp at the sound of Chris's gun," Rachel commented, slurring over her words.

"Huh? What the hell did I do this time?" muttered Chris, sticking his brown tousled hair out the window. So he must be the poor guy Rachel's been messing around with. Connor smacked his head.

"Dumbass, you tried shootin' an Olympian," Connor reminded.

"Whatever," Chris mumbled as Rachel pulled him back. Sounds of heavy moaning and kissing were close enough to make me wanna throw up. Thankfully, someone knocked on the garage door. Beckendorf opened it to find Clarisse coming inside.

"Hey, Prissy," she said to me. She's the only one who can get away with calling me that since she's the first who started calling me that since I was initiated. "I heard sirens blaring and I was wonder-"

She stopped mid-sentence when she heard Chris moaning in Connor's car. She stormed her way to the open car window.

"_Fyge apó ekeí_ (get the fuck out of there)!" she yelled at the two of them. I'll admit,it's pretty entertaining to see Clarisse get mad. Both Chris and Rachel stumbled out of the car and Clarisse grabbed Rachel by the collar of her jacket.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, making out with my boyfriend?" she demanded.

"Well, he seemed to enjoy it," Rachel slurred, still drunk. Clarisse released her and punched her hard across her face. Rachel stumbled backwards and I managed to catch her before she could fall. Clarisse turned to her cheater of a boyfriend. I like Chris and all but I was looking forward to Clarisse beating up his sorry ass.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she yelled at him. "Just because you're fuckin' drunk doesn't mean you have the fuckin' right to screw with-"

She got cut off when Chris decided to smack his lips to hers. I think she completely forgot her anger 'cause she was kissing him back and they were both moaning again. Gods all these couples makin' out are making me sick.

Rachel turned to look at me. Her eyes seemed to ask me _Can't we make up like them and forget about the past?_ But the problem for her was that I never forget the past. Sure I knew a bunch of guys liked Rachel but I didn't expect her to cheat on me. I thought she really liked me enough that she'd remain faithful. Well, I'm not going to make the same mistake. With my eyes, I told her No way in fucking hell.

"What's the matter with you, Percy?" Rachel sighed. "Before, it looked like what I did bothered you. Now, it looks like you don't give a damn."

"Honestly, Rachel, I really don't anymore. You can screw around with whoever you want now," I told her a bit too harshly.

"Lovers quarrel?" Connor joked."

"We ain't lovers anymore," I reminded him. And we never were, I silently added.

Before he could crack another not-so-funny joke about me and Rachel, Juniper ran into the garage.

"Percy! Grover's in trouble!" she exclaimed.

"Whoa, Grover? As in the Grover who stood out from all the gang fights? The Grover who refuses to carry around a knife or gun? That Grover?" Connor asked.

"Yes! All that happened was that Pollux gave him a couple of beers and Grover got so high that he managed to piss of a Cyclopes."

"Whoa, a Cyclopes? Grover's scared like hell of the Cyclopes," I pointed out.

"I know, but he started cursing at them in Greek, got one of them pissed and now he's meeting them at Half-Blood Alley."

"C'mon guys, we gotta go help out Grover," I finalized, grabbing Connor, a somewhat sober Rachel, and Beckendorf, leaving Clarisse and Chris to blissfully make out and Juniper to stay far away from the couple with a disgusted look on her face.

Once we arrived at Half-Blood Alley, I could easily make out a sober Grover fiddling with his T-shirt. Half-Blood Alley was clearly our property but we were always constantly fighting with other gangs over this property.

"Percy, I'm so, so sorry, I was drunk and I had no idea what I was thinking, you shouldn't even risk yourselves-"

"Grover, once you're in the gang, whatever fight you're in, you can count on us for help," I reminded him.

As shadows started to appear, I gestured to Connor, Rachel, and Beckendorf to join us. Overall, we seemed like a pretty intimidating group. Beckendorf is as strong as he looks with his buffed muscles and killer punches. Connor's not so strong, but he's swift and a quick thinker. Rachel may look a bit innocent to others but her sharp nails have often brought permanent scars to her victims.

The shadows formed into three Cyclopes. Two of them swayed slightly, obviously still a little drunk. The third was more stable and I could hear him cursing at his friends for arriving drunk and outnumbered. I couldn't help but smile through the dimness of the alley. I must have scared them 'cause I could see the fear in their eyes. Newbies could be so easily scared.

"So what did G-man do to make one of you guys so pissed?" I asked point-blank.

"You're little friend called me an_ ilíthos_ (idiot)," slurred one of the newbies. "Now, I don't know what the fuck that is, but it sounded bad."

"That's all? He called you an idiot and you're pissed?" I scoffed at him.

"He also said that the Minotaur looked better than me and I'd be lucky to get Medusa as a girlfriend," he added. I glanced at Grover. He shrugged.

"Well, what he says is true," Connor tried muttering under his breath. Unfortunately, the Cyclops heard him.

"What did you say, pretty boy?"

"First of all, I'm only extremely sexy, not pretty. That kind of gay flattery will get you nowhere. (AN: I have nothing against gays by the way.) Second, you are ugly as a Chimera anyways so it's probably true."

You see, Cyclopes always lose their temper easily and are easily predictable especially when drunk. The pissed-off Cyclopes lunged forward and tried to punch his jaw, but Connor expected it and ducked while landing a punch in his chest. The other drunken Cyclopes hurled himself at Rachel, but she quickly sidestepped and slashed at his face, missing by a few centimeters. Beckendorf headed over to help out Connor which left me with the serious Cyclopes.

He took a pocket knife that glowed dull silver. From the hidden pocket inside my leather jacket, I took out Riptide which is my two-inch bronze pocket knife with a leather handle. On the surface, the words are engraved in silver. Ares gave Riptide to me at my initiation, saying it was my father's.

The Cyclopes instantly lunged at me and I easily swerved out of the way. I quickly took of my jacket. Wouldn't wanna get any blood on it. As I moved, I aimed Riptide at his arm. He moved, but not before Riptide drew a line of red down his arm. He cursed under his breath as a few drops of blood dripped from his new wound. It didn't stop him from fighting and he charged at me again. He tried slashing at my chest. I dodged again and tried for his shoulder this time. But before Riptide could slice his skin, he elbowed my chest and knocked the breath out of me. I stumbled a little, but quickly recovered. He tackled me against a wall, knocked Riptide out of my hand, and kept throwing me punches. Every single one felt as if stones were being thrown at me, but I held my ground and gave him my own punches.

After a while, his normal breathing turned to gasps and he made the mistake of hesitating while trying to deliver a punch. I took this opportunity to give him a punch to his throat which left him kneeling on the floor and choking for air. I half ran, half limped across the alley, clutching my chest in pain. Riptide glinted dimly in the street lamp light and I quickly grabbed it. Behind me, the Cyclopes I was fighting loomed over me with his own pocket knife. He was too quick for me to dodge and I felt the cold edge of metal slice through my T-shirt and through the skin of my left arm. I gritted my teeth, he sliced really deep. A river of blood was already pouring from the new wound. I slashed Riptide at his cheek, seeing red gushing from the wound I made. He was about to strike once more when someone kicked him aside. I looked to see Grover holding out a hand. I took it, grunting as pain began to fire through my body.

"Thanks," I said to him. He shrugged.  
"You came here to help me. I outta help you. 'Sides, I might need you alive just in case I need your help again," he grinned. Through all the pain, I managed a weak smile.  
"We're brothers, G-man. I'll always be there when you need help."  
Then, everything turned a stormy, hazy grey.

* * *

_Annabeth_

I tapped my pencil nervously. Percy was two minutes late. Where in Hades was he?

"Where's your trouble-making partner?" Travis asked, smirking behind me. "Some chick actually teaching him how to read?"

"Travis, quit it," Katie scolded.

"Thanks."

You're welcome." Katie might not always understand me, but only she and Luke know about my dyslexic brothers.

"Oh fine, only for you, babe," he said to Katie, flashing a quick wink that made her blush as red as her roses.

At that moment, Percy came into the room and casually sat next to me as if this was all normal.

"Where were you? It's two minutes pass the late bell," I pointed out to him.

"Glad of you to notice," he responded, but this time he didn't add a teasing smile. "I was busy stapling my wounds."

I stared at him. "Who in the world would staple their wounds? Have you ever heard of something called a Band-Aid?"

"Didn't have time to get one, nurse. It was bleeding too much and I just stapled it quickly."

"Where did you get the wound from anyway? A fight?"

"For your information, I was helping my dearest mother with dinner and I accidentally sliced myself while cutting tomatoes."

I scoffed. Yeah right, I thought. It's not like a knife can magically fly from your hand to your shoulder.

"I still think you got in a fight," I insisted.

"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. But I do got scars from previous fights. Wanna see?" he asked, lifting up the right sleeve of his T-shirt and showing a fraction of his tan muscled skin. I smacked his shoulder.

"No thanks," I assured him, stealing a glance at Luke. His hands were curled up into fists, but loosened when I told Percy no. Thank the gods, Luke can be so overprotective sometimes.

"Are we still goin' to the library after school?" he asked.

"Yeah. Why? Since when were you so interested in school projects?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I just wanna get the damn thing over with."

Gods, this was going to be one, long year.

* * *

"Okay...what the hell does that mean?" Percy asked.

"Well, it basically means that Helen was telling Paris that he's a coward for relying on to save him from Menelaus."

"But he was about to die."

"Yeah, but if he wasn't such a wimp, he should've fought Menelaus to the death and won Helen fair and square."

"Not everything can be won fair and square," he scoffed. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever. You're not supposed to force women into your bed," I pointed out.

"But what if she wanted to be with him?" he countered, looking straight at me intensely with those sea-green eyes looking at me. "What if she tried refusing because she knew it was forbidden for her to love the enemy?"

We just sat there looking at each other. It wasn't uncomfortable though. For a minute, he was allowing me to see past his gang member act and see what lay underneath. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of person Percy Jackson really is. Was he only calm and warm to those in his family or always so tough and impenetrable? Part of me wanted to know and part of me kept thinking that not knowing was better. Yet it seemed that he was looking through me too. I wonder if he really could see past my perfect and smart act. Then again, would I let him know the truth? Could I?

He was the first to look away and I looked down at the copy of the Iliad, hoping that the small blush in my cheeks wouldn't be noticed.

"Why did you keep askin' what happened to me?" he asked, his rough voice cutting through the silence between us.

"What?" I asked not so smartly.

"Are you worried about me or somethin'? 'Cause I can take care of myself," he said, a small smirk forming on his lips and a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"I just wanted to know. Wouldn't want my partner to drop dead in the beginning of the year," I answered, trying not to look at his eyes again.

"Just 'cause I get a bunch of scars don't mean I'll die from them. That knife cut from last night definitely won't kill me. It's not too deep. See?" he said, lifting up his right sleeve again. I smacked his left shoulder. What I didn't expect was a small cry of pain.

"Ierá theón. (holy gods) Are you okay?" I asked, putting the book down.

"No. Gods it hurts like hell. Like Tartarus," he groaned. "Didn't know you had a good arm."

"Oh gods, we need to get you to the nurse," I said, collecting our books and leading him out of the library and into the hallway. "Oh gods, you're bleeding a lot."

Blood began trickling down his arm and soaking through his T-shirt sleeve. He clutched his arm tightly, trying unsuccessfully to stop the blood from flowing.

"It's fine," he tried assuring me through gritted teeth.

"No it's not. Oh gods, if my mom finds out she's going to murder me for injuring someone and _synetairismós me éna mélos symmorías_(partnering with a gang member) and then going home is going to be _akóm perissótero ánchos _(even more stressful) and i just can't take it as it is-"

"ANNABETH!" Percy yelled, shaking my shoulders. I blinked twice as I tried to calm myself and let reality sink in. Oh, crap. Crap, crap, crap! I let Percy Jackson, the bane of my existence, see me during one of my panic attacks. Even Katie never got to see me panic because I've managed to calm myself until now. This wasn't good, this wasn't good at-

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking genuinely concerned. He tried brushing away a loose strand of my hair, but I quickly moved away.

"Yea, I'm okay. I'm sorry I end up rambling in Greek when I'm nervous," I muttered, nervously brushing my curls behind my ear. "Um, we should probably head to the nurse."

"Glad you could notice before I died from massive blood loss".

* * *

"So how did you get the cut in the first place?" the nurse asked.

"Cut myself while slicing tomatoes," Percy answered casually. I rolled my eyes at his blatant lie, but the nurse nodded her head and appeared to believe it.

"Okay then. All I have to do is wash the wound, apply alcohol, then patch it up with a Band-Aid. So Annabeth, you can go now," she told me, nodding in assurance.

I turned to head for the door. Before I left the room, I held my hand over the doorknob and faced Percy.

"Please don't tell anyway about earlier," I pleaded. "I don't think I can bear it if..."

I expected him to bark a laugh and tell me that he'll obviously tell the other Half-Bloods that genius Annabeth had a nervous breakdown.

"Okay, I won't," he said.

"Swear on the River Styx that you won't tell anyone," I insisted.

"I swear on the River Styx that I won't tell anyone about your nervous breakdown," he swore. "Now, swear on the Styx that you won't tell anyone that you were able to cut open my wounds."

"I swear on the River Styx I won't tell anyone I was able to wound you," I swore, giving him a small smirk.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks to those who reviewed: C-Nuggets N.L, the only daughter of Pluto, Totally me123321, Damon-salvatore-lover15, DaughterOfPoseidonxD, books own me, BlueCottonCandy839, Percabeth808, Names, XxXTheSilverArrowXxX, Apollo 11o, percy'shellokitty32, whichamacallit5, Ouuu, athena forever, crazy for percabeth, maximilian7, and JayJay-Lynn. But I'm sad to say I ran out of ideas for this story and im thinking of stopping this story... April Fools! More is to come dont worry i wont abandon my reader :) keep reviewing everyone!**

* * *

_Annabeth_

Yesterday, Luke asked me to watch a Yankees vs. Orioles game at Yankee Stadium with him. Now, I was preparing for tonight by curling my hair and double-checking my outfit of a white tank layered by a dark blue short-sleeve shirt with dark skinny jeans and new black Converse sneakers. I also wore the white gold necklace with a silver owl pendant that Luke gave me for our first anniversary.

The doorbell rang and I headed straight to the door. I opened it to find a grinning Luke looking cute in a dark green polo, black hoodie, and jeans and holding out a red rose.

"Aw, you're so sweet," I said sweetly, kissing him lightly on the lips. "I'll put this in my room. I'll be right back."

I quickly ran to my room and left the rose on my desk. When I returned, I saw my mom chatting with Luke.

"Make sure she gets home by eleven," she reminded sternly. He nodded in understanding.

"I will, Mrs. Chase."

"You have my number in case of an emergency?"

"Yes, I'll call if anything goes wrong."

Even though I couldn't see my mother's expression, I could practically feel her intense stare from across the living room. I know it'd look as if she was scanning right through him with those analytical gray eyes identical to mine. Her "scanning" seemed to last for only a fraction of a minute (ten seconds to be exact) and her shoulders relaxed which meant so did her expression.

"I'm so glad Annabeth chose such a polite and smart boy as you," she complimented.

"Well, Annabeth is smart enough to choose well. And here she is now," Luke said, giving me one of his brilliant white smiles that make me feel like I was the only special girl in his world.

"So, ready to go?" I asked him, taking his outstretched hand.

"After you," he grinned, gesturing towards the door for me to go first like a gentleman.

"Be back by eleven," my mom warned, interrupting the moment.

"'Kay, Mom," I called back.

* * *

As we stepped out of the building and into the cool September night, Luke began walking me down the block.

"Guess your mom really likes me. Even if I do feel like she has X-ray vision when she looks at me seriously," he joked.

"Are you kidding? She loves you. It might have to do with your dad being her high school classmate," I pointed out.

"True. Or maybe it's because of my stunning good looks," he teased, making me laugh.

"Possibly."

"Well, your mom doesn't look like her age."

"What do you mean?"

We stopped walking as we approached his red Maserati Spyder. After getting inside and starting the engine, he continued where we left off.

"Well, she looks more like your sister than your mother. She's definitely a MILF."

"Gross, Luke, you just called my mom hot!"

"Hey, it's true! She looks and acts more like your family than your brothers."

"As we were approaching Third Avenue, I turned to look at him.

"What?" I asked incredulously in disbelief.

"They don't act anything like the rest of your family," he replied, oblivious to my tone. "Look at them. Their grades are low, they can barely read let alone do their homework, and they're way too hyper for twelve-year-olds. They don't even look like you or your parents; they have dirty blonde hair and pale skin. If they didn't have your gray eyes, I'd think they're adopted."

"Just because they barely look or act like me doesn't mean they're not my family," I argued, fuming at the fact that he couldn't accept Bobby and Matthew as my brothers. "Even though they can never be as smart as me, it doesn't mean I love them any less. I still love them either way, no matter what."

I looked away from him and looked out the window. We were crossing the Third Avenue Bridge and my eyes were gazing at the blue-green ocean glittering in the rays of the setting sun. It reminded me of Percy. What would he say if he ever met Bobby and Matthew?

* * *

We arrived at Yankee Stadium in the middle of the first inning. As we were taking our seats in the bleachers, someone stood up and held out his hand to Luke.

"Luke Castellan! Haven't seen you since last spring. Still in football?" the man asked. Luke shook his hand and gave him a smile.

"No, now I'm in fencing. But maybe I'll go for the football team sometime this year, maybe spring."

"Aw, that's a shame. I know a couple of guys who'd be interested in helping you get a football scholarship."

The two kept chatting about football, the game, and Luke's dad's business. Once in a while, I tried to join in the conversation, but I mostly kept my focus on the game. At first, the Orioles were winning 3-1.

* * *

By the seventh inning, it was already ten. I nudged Luke who was conversing with someone else about college.

"Hey, it's already ten. You should take me home," I told him. He turned to me and frowned slightly.

"But it's already the seventh inning. Plus, the Yankees look like they're winning. Can't we just finish the game?" he begged, looking at me with pleading blue eyes. I sighed and nodded. He smiled and returned to his conversation.

* * *

In the middle of the eighth inning, the score was 6-7 with Yankees leading. It was already a quarter to eleven so I pointed out the time to Luke again.

"C'mon, your mom won't mind if we're a bit late," Luke sighed. I shook my head.

"Don't underestimate my mom. She won't be mad at you, but she'll be mad at me instead. If you're not taking me home, I'm going by train," I warned.

"You don't have to do that, Miss Chase," said the guy Luke was talking to. I think his name was Raymond or something. "You can take Luke's car and I'll drive him home."

Luke agreed to that and handed me his keys. Before I left, he kissed my cheek.

In the Maserati, I was alone to my thoughts. My feelings about Luke were just so confusing and the fact that I've never been confused about anything makes me even more confused. One moment he's sweet, the next he acts like he doesn't care about me at all. I wonder if it had to do with what this summer. I know I have to stick with Luke, but sooner or later, I this was going to end one way or another.

I got home a quarter past eleven. As I closed the door, I could see Mom waiting in the living room for me.

"What took you so long?" she demanded.

"Luke wouldn't leave so I drove myself home."

"Don't blame him for you being late. It was your responsibility to look after the time. It's your fault you didn't plan ahead of time. You probably didn't notice the time until it was late."

"But I kept reminding him of the time," I told her, gritting my teeth in frustration. Everything was always my fault, no matter what it was.

"Oh, all this talking is going to give the both of us headaches. Just go to bed," she waved me away, turning to walk down the hall to her room. I sighed and headed to my room. After washing up and changing, I collapsed on my bed with a mini headache already starting. One thought entered my mind before I fell asleep. What do I have to do to be perfect for anyone?

* * *

**Percy**

"So, basically, Helen was with Paris when he asked her to be returned to the Trojans at the end of Book Three?" I asked, looking from the scrambled text of the Iliad to the blonde genius next to me.

"Hmm? Oh yea, sure," Annabeth responded half-heartedly, leanin' her head on her hand and barely looking at me or the Iliad. I sighed and dropped my pencil from when I was taking notes. Surely she wouldn't be so out of it unless something was up.

"Alright, I may not know you well enough, but I can obviously tell somethin' is up," I told her. She raised an eyebrow at me.

"Since when did you care about my wellbeing?" she questioned carefully. I shrugged.

"If you're here mopin', we can't get nothin' done," I pointed out.

"Maybe I'm feeling down because of your improper grammar."

"Wise Girl, here in NY, you'll be sein' a bunch of other dudes speakin' like this in case you haven't noticed."

"You're such a Seaweed Brain," she scowled. I simply grinned.

"And you're such a Wise Girl," I answered, making her scowl even more.

"So what's up? I asked again.

"_Típota _(nothing). Just a lot on my mind."

"As always," I muttered under my breath, but of course she greeted me with a smack on my head with her notebook.

"Geez, just 'cause I'm a Seaweed Brain don't mean seaweed will come out of my head," I said, rubbing my head even though it didn't hurt. I briefly saw a small smile on her face but saw it disappear as quick as it appeared.

"C'mon you need a quick break from all the school shit. Come with me after school."

"It's only the beginning of the year."

" And it already feels like forever in hell."

"You're just _tempélis_ (lazy)."

"'Least I know how to relax."

"I'm not going anywhere with you just for a little pointless break."

"It's not like you're gonna die if you have a little fun."

"Won't your gang be wherever you are?"

"They're not flesh-eating monsters. Only some of them."

"They'd still attempt to kill me."

"How 'bout I make you a promise?" I offered. She glared at me with stormy grey clouds for eyes."

"How do I know you'll keep a promise?" she questioned. Her question almost threw me off guard; I know I didn't have a right to be making promises to a girl I'm using for a bet. But I continued as if she never said anything to bother me.

"I promise that I won't let anyone hurt you under my watch," I promised her. "I swear on the Styx."

* * *

"So what's the occasion? Annabeth asked, her arms locked tightly around my waist as I began slowing down. A section of Orchard Beach was reserved by the gang and was already set up with a table full of food and a couple of decorations.

"It's Juniper's birthday," I told her, braking Blackjack.

"Juniper Green?" she asked, gingerly stepping over Blackjack and on the sand.

"Yup. Got her present right here," I said, reaching in my bag and took out the box carrying her present.

"Can I see it?" she asked, reaching for the box. I playfully raised it above from her reach.

"_Den _(No)," I grinned. She was only an inch shorter than me but my arms were longer. It was fun to see her attempt to grab it a few times. Suddenly, she stopped and pointed behind me.

"Hey, is that Juniper?" she asked. I dropped my arm and spun around to where she was pointing. Nothing

Before I could realize it, I felt the box being tugged from my hand and saw Annabeth running away from me.

"Crap! _Dóste píso_ (Give it back), Chase!" I shouted, running after her.

I followed her past a couple of Half-Bloods giving us weird looks but I didn't give a shit. Once she reached the water, her golden curls seemed to appear closer, her pace seemed to slow down, and I ran faster. Salt slightly stung my eyes but I managed to grab my arms around her waist.

"Gotcha," I whispered hotly in her ear. For a minute, maybe less, the world seemed to disappear and all I felt was her warm body, heard her rapid breathing, smelled her lemony scent, and saw her hair shine in the fading light.

"What are you going to do now?" she whispered softly. I smiled, moving one hand to her stomach, hearing her gasp as soft as the gentle breeze blowing. I moved my hand up to...

Take the box away from her hand.

"I'll take this back," I whispered, letting my lips brush slowly at her neck. Although I tried convincing myself it was a way to draw her to me, I couldn't ignore the electric feeling that greeted me before I released her.

She turned to me with tangled curls and misty eyes, looking at me innocently and thoughtfully. I couldn't help but wonder what it'd be like to know what's going on that constantly working mind of hers.

"We should go back," she said, walking past me as if our little moment never happened. Girls, so confusing.

* * *

The party went great. Mostly everybody did their own thing. Some went swimming, a few played corny games like Truth or Dare (but it was hilarious to watch Grover eat his first hamburger), some were just chatting. When Juniper decided to open some presents and opened mine, she thanked me for the silver juniper berry pin I gave her. And when she opened the emerald and gold necklace Grover gave her, she repeatedly thanked him by hugging him a lot and you could easily see the blush on both of their faces.

"Hey, Percy," called Connor. "Come play Spin The Bottle."

"Really, Connor? Are you fucking kidding me? Sure I will, when I go to Tartarus."

"Aw c'mon Perce, live a little," groaned Chris who was sitting close to Clarisse with his arm around her waist. "Your partner is playin' too."

Sure enough, Annabeth was sitting next to Connor, looking content and happy even though I bet she was normally scared shitless of him.

"Fine," I sighed, sitting between Annabeth and Connor. The others playing were Beckendorf, Grover, Juniper, and Kayla. "But Connor, you spin first."

Being the leader, he didn't argue. The bottle landed on Kayla. No wonder he wanted to play. Kayla was a pretty, smart, quiet, blonde with blue eyes as clear as spring pools who was deadly with the poison darts she carries with her. Connor developed a little crush on her and was taking his time planning his moves.

Now, he and Kayla crawled towards each other and made out with each other in the center. A couple of groans and squeals were heard and it was over after Chris yelled "My turn!"

The bottle spun and landed on Clarisse. Figures. They made out with each other and they continued as Beckendorf spun. The bottle landed on Grover.

"What the fuck? No way am I kissing you," protested Beckendorf. Grover shrugged. "Totally agree."

He spun the bottle and it landed on Juniper. They both blushed and they kissed for only ten seconds. When they finished, they avoided looking at each other in embarrassment. When my turn came, it landed on Annabeth. Fucking _Moíres_ (Fates). I looked at her and she looked back with misty eyes, both of us deciding if we should do it.

"Oh well, it's just a kiss," I told her, but for some stupid reason, I wanted to kiss her. I'm so glad Rachel didn't show up or she might kill Annabeth if she saw this.

"Yeah. Right," she answered quietly.

The whole group was quiet. It's been awhile since an Upper and Lower got together and made out in public. Now, Annabeth and I were here, supposed to kiss. I leaned closer to her and she leaned close to me. Her hand, warm and soft, came to my cool cheek and another soft hand held my rough and scarred one. My heartbeat quickened, anticipating her next move.

What she did was so quick I wouldn't have noticed it if I haven't felt it. She raised my hand to her lips and kissed it. I looked at her in surprise.

"There. I kissed you."

* * *

**Hehe Annabeth teasing Percy out of his own game :P dont worry about the Lukabeth i hate it too :/ itll last for the next chapter which will be interesting, then the next will further show Luke's a jerk, then maybe a break-up at that chapter. but no percabeth yet! theyll get all lovey-dovey eventually.**

**Now, onto something not related to Perfect Chemistry. As much as I enjoy writing this story, it'll have to end eventually :( and I've already come up with ideas for a next story. So, I'll put a choice with a brief summary and please decide because I love hearing from my readers. You can PM your vote or include it in your review**

**Rules of Attraction: ****Sequel to Perfect Chemistry, it's Nico's turn for love! Nico returns to Manhattan after being gone for two years (you'll understand when I finish Perfect Chem) and goes to school with Thalia as a tour guide. Percy met Thalia through her father that he works for and wants Thalia to make sure he doesn;t get into any trouble. When Nico does get in trouble, Percy decides it's best for Thalia and her family to take him into their supervision. Nico annoys Thalia to death, but will their little rivalry blossom to love? Or will he push Thalia away too far?**

**Friends or Love?: ****Based on a true story (meaning my life expereinces). Takes place during TLT, in this story, instead of Luke trying to kill Percy and leaving camp, he asks Annabeth to be his girlfriend! Now think about it, isn't Luke like 7 years older than Annabeth. Even so, she readily agrees and a jealous Percy has to deal with watching Annabeth be happy with someone else. Tratie's in here too and Katie tries to convince Annabeth it's wrong, but prideful Annabeth is blinded by love and despite her smart mind, refuses to see anything wrong with her relationship. Will Annabeth's relationship with Luke break her relationships with her friends?**

**The Heroes of Olympus: The Rise of the Dead: ****Since alot of people wrote their versions of The Son of Neptune, I decided to write the third book. Keith, a fourteen-year-old with good enough grades, a loving mom, and great friends, gets his life turned upside down when a monster attacks him and causes him to be reuited with his childhood friend Alyssa and her best friend Denise. The three are taken to camp and find out their true parentage and are soon set out on a quest. Melinoe, the goddess of ghosts, has been released from the Underworld and managed to held some other ghosts escape as well. Now, she terrorizes mortals with ghosts haunting their lives and must be captured and returned to the Underworld. This won't be easy with Keith and Alyssa fighting bitterly despite that they used to be best friends and the other feelings they have towards each other. Can they learn to forget the past and save the mortals? And why, despite her parent not being Hades, can Alyssa see the ghost of the Hades' cabin?**

**Personally I like the third option better but it's up to you. I thank you guys for encouraging me to keep writing :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**So I decided to update early than promised because I managed to type the whole chapter :) Thanks to those who reviewed: sarlovesoccer, Rainniechick, TarInDee, the only daughter of Pluto, Patamon of Hope, trebolplayer19, DaughterofPoseidonxD, ihatemakingupusernames, jahfreenalam, iluvfantasy, Riley Coyote, alexandriarulzforeva, Fantasyreader, The Daughter of the Greek Gods, GleekPJOFreak, C-Nuggets N.L, HIIII, buzzlessbee, and ChildrenOfTheGreatGods. And thanks to those who voted for the next story like I mentioned last chapter. But make sure to check out my profile and vote on the poll Next story to write. Now enough with my blabbering and read and enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Percy**

'Round my fifth beer bottle was when my vision started to get hazy. My throat burned from all the alcohol but I didn't give a fuck and grabbed another bottle.

"Damn, Perce, you never drink more than four bottles," I slurred Connor in front of me. Or was he beside me? Then world kept spinnin' 'round me. "Did that partner of yours fuck you up that much from yesterday?"

"_Skáse_ (shut up)," I muttered, takin' a long ass gulp from the bottle.

"Geez, Perce, calm down. You know I'm jokin'," Connor tried to remind me. Then his glassy blue eyes glinted and he smirked. "So I'm guessin' things between you and the _prinkípissa_ (princess) aren't goin' too well. Guess I'm gonna get Blackjack after all."

"_Den díno dekára_ (I don't give a damn)," I told him, finishin' off the bottle and tossin' it aside, watching the glass scatter like stars.

Truth was I did care. The little _idiofyía_ (genius) keeps fucking with my damn mind. One minute I think she hates me and treats me like _skatá_ (shit), the next she acts like she's into me. I need to remind myself that this was all a game and I needed to win.

"Fine, I'll leave you. You're like some _kotopouláki_ (chick) on a period. All moody and shit," Connor stumbled over his words, trippin' over himself as he got up to leave.

I tried pickin' up another bottle but I was too wasted to move. Instead, I looked up to the sky. It was grey like someone's eyes but I forgot who. All I knew was that Grey was often pissed off at me, always thinkin' she knew me. Grey was confusin' too but I forgot why. That's it. I wanted to forget about Grey.

From my blurry ass vision, I could make out someone comin' towards me. I couldn't tel who it was 'cept that she had bright green eyes. I remember Green was less confusin' than Grey. Green said somethin' to me and I couldn't understand her at first.

"Wanna get outta here? I can take you somewhere else."

Someone else spoke, someone who sounded like me but at the same time didn't.

"Yes."

* * *

I can't remember how we got here but I was now shirtless and waist-deep in cool water. Maybe the Atlantic. I'm a son of Poseidon and I could control the sea. After swimmin' in the water, a green-eyed naiad with flaming red hair appeared in front of me."

"What're you thinking about," she asked flirtatiously, her voice as sweet as ambrosia. She ran her long nails through my hair.

"I'm thinkin' that I'm a son of Poseidon and you're my _naïáda_ (naiad)," I slurred, unconsciously puttin' my arm 'round her waist.

"Then make me your _naïáda_," she whispered in my ear. I glanced at the sky and thought of Grey, what she'd be doin' now. Then, the naiad looked at me with her emerald eyes and I felt her soft lips crush against mine.

I don't need Grey, grey was such a hazy, confusin' color. Green was oh so simple. I'm fine with my_ naïáda_, my _lígo psémata naïáda_ (little lying naiad).

* * *

_Annabeth_

After architecture, I met up with Katie, Travis, and Luke, who brought a couple of beers, at the bleachers of the football field. I don't often drink so I took a couple of sips from mine. Katie took more than a couple, but she didn't take enough to get staggering drunk. Luke and Travis, however, were on their way to getting hangovers tomorrow morning. While Travis and Luke joked around and drank, Katie and I talked and gossiped for a while.

"You heard about Silena?"

"No, what about her?"

"They say she and Beckendorf have been secretly dating for a month."

"What? Beckendorf as in the Half-Blood?"

"I don't know if it's true, but it's obviously true that they like each other."

"Now that's not hard to notice."

"Oh and Annabeth, I have to tell you something," Katie suddenly began whispering so that Luke and Travis wouldn't hear even though I doubt they'd be in their right sense to pay attention to us.

"What?" I whispered back. She nervously licked her lips and looked away to the football field. She turned back in my direction, but she didn't look at me straight in the eyes.

"Travis and I had sex yesterday," she admitted.

"I thought you were going to wait," I said, observing Katie. Travis and Katie have been dating for eight months and she used to be very firm about not losing her virginity until after college and not letting a guy take control over her. Guess Travis won the best of her.

"I was, but when he came to my house, we studied for a while and then ended up kissing on my bed and we just did it afterwards," she explained hurriedly. She glanced back at our boys. They were laughing hysterically about something.

"You used protection of course, right?" I checked with her.

"Yeah, of course, she assured. "He was very sweet afterwards; he kept asking if I was in pain or anything. I kept telling him I was fine, but I guess he wouldn't listen. Did you and Luke do it yet?"

I shook my head. "If I planned on doing it, I'd tell you beforehand."

"Does he want to? Like, does he ask for it often?"

"Recently, yeah. Any boy over fourteen desires it."

"Do you want it?"

"Yes, but I'm not ready for it yet."

"Okay then, if you're not ready, then it's your job to say no," she reminded. I nodded.

Travis and Luke managed to approach us at the bleachers without tripping over themselves.

"Hey, honey," Travis called Katie, kissing her forehead. She blushed and smiled up at him.

"Hi. Want me to take you home?"

"Sure. Luke, are you coming?"

"In awhile," Luke told him. The two walked away leaving us alone awhile.

"Hey, I'm sorry about Sunday. I should've paid more attention," he apologized, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"It's okay," I answered him, thinking back to Juniper's birthday three days ago and the "kiss" I gave Percy. He seemed so intent on kissing me and I don't doubt that he'd be a good kisser. His lips seemed so warm and tempting. His hand felt rough, but he held mine gently.

"So we're cool?" Luke asked, snapping me out of my flashback.

"Yeah," I responded mildly, but he didn't seem to notice. He began to lean in close to me and before he kissed me, I saw his blue eyes close, slightly wishing that they were green instead.

The kiss started out gentle, but it quickly turned rough, hot, and fast. His tongue met mine and I felt his hand squeeze one of my breasts. Even though this would've made me moan before, it annoyed me now for some reason. He pushed me back so that I was lying down and he was on top of me. I knew what he'd say before he did.

"Let's do it," he said hotly, his face inches away from mine.

"Here? Where anyone can see us?"

"There's no one around."

"Katie and Travis are waiting."

"They can wait a bit longer."

"Do you have a condom?"

"I'll pull out in time."

Gee, not the answer I wanted. I pushed him away from me, grabbing my messenger bag and my bottle of beer.

"Where are you going?" he asked, impatience and annoyance in his tone.

"Home," I answered blatantly without looking back.

"We're all riding together."

"I'm walking home."

"Annabeth."

I ignored him; I needed to think. No, I needed to forget and I couldn't do that surrounded by people especially Luke. I drank a big gulp from my beer and already felt a bit dizzy. I finished it on the way down the bleachers and grabbed a bunch of beers before I left the football field.

After I finished all the beer, I barely managed to walk straight. I bet I got myself I got lost, but I didn't care. I didn't want to get home in this state. I ended up walking on sand and smelling salt. I'm probably on some beach. Maybe I'm in Hawaii. I heard two voices.

"Hey, I think it's Chase."

"Really, she looks mad drunk. A smartass girl wouldn't drink."

"Get Jackson anyway. I think she's gonna faint."

Ironically, I did fall. Hard. Thankfully, not on my face like the idiot I am, but I landed on my back. I looked sideways. With my hazy vision, I could make out a blue-gray ocean. Before I closed my eyes and passed out, I felt strong arms around me.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to vote :) keep reviewing!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks to those who reviewed: melpel, Names, MushuThePowerful, kellypr, Damon-salvatore-lover15, percabeth13, the only daughter of Pluto, DaughterOfPoseidonxD, speedyteeny, toogoode99, thalico all the way, GleekPJOFreak, AlwaysLightThroughTheDarkness, percy'shellokitty32, summergirl881, JayJay-Lynn, BlueCottonCandy839, C-Nuggets N.L, ihatemakingupusernames, and jahfreenalam. You're all such awesome reviewers and yes some scenes may be from Perfect Chemistry like a this one but there will be some original scenes! About the next story I'm planning on writing, the poll results are so far: Heroes of Olympus- 5 Friends or Love- 4 Rules of Attraction- 2. If Heroes wins, I'll personally be very happy, but it all depends on you! Now enough of my babbling, read!**

* * *

_Annabeth_

Getting drunk was the fun part. Waking up from a hangover was the part where you get an excruciating headache. Grimacing, I managed to sit up from the bed I was sleeping in and began rubbing my aching temples to figure out what happened after drinking all that beer. I glanced at a full-length mirror beside the bed. My memory resembled my appearance. My perfect hair was all tangled and messy while my eyes were grey and hazy with splotches of red. After managing to get out of bed and finding the bathroom, I splashed cool water on my face and combed my tangled hair. Since I wasn't at home and I wasn't at Katie's, I took out a piece of mint gum from my bag and chewed it as a replacement for brushing my teeth, hoping whoever lived here wouldn't notice how horrid my breath smelled.

I walked down the hall where the area divided between a living room and a dining room which led to a kitchen. On one of the sofas in the living room, a familiar-looking guy with tousled black hair lay sleeping with his mouth slightly open and a small trail of drool was pouring down. I would've laughed a little if he wasn't shirtless. I swallowed nervously; even if I've seen Luke shirtless before, I couldn't help but stare at the muscles on his arms and his tanned six-pack. Shaking myself out of my daze, I walked over to the couch and lightly shook his shoulder.

"Hey, Percy, wake up," I called softly, but I got no response. I shook harder.

"Percy Jackson, wake up," I called louder. Nothing.

Sighing, I stopped shaking him and tried to think. Then, an idea formed in my mind. As my mom always says, a daughter of Athena always has a plan. I went to the kitchen, grabbed a cup and filled it with water. Going back to the living room, I dipped my fingers in the cup and flicked water at his face. At first, he simply stirred and mumbled, "That tickles." After flicking water into his face a couple more times, I shrugged and splashed the entire cup of water into his face. He sputtered and jolted awake, sitting up quickly as if the couch suddenly caught on fire.

"I'm up, Mom, I'm up!" he exclaimed. He turned around frantically and finally his red-rimmed green eyes turned to find my snickering face. His expression turned from panicked to embarrassment to annoyance.

"Very funny, Wise Girl," he said to me, getting up from the couch and shaking water off his hair. I kept laughing, but inside, I couldn't help noticing how hot his abs looked glistening with water.

"Yes it was, Seaweed Brain. Does your mom always wake you up with water?" I asked, still smiling at his surprised reaction.

"Only when I've got a hard time waking up."

"Does that mean every time?"

"Oh shut up. And just when I was gonna ask you if you wanted breakfast."

"Sure, I'd like some breakfast," I thanked, still smiling. "Just as long as you don't burn down the apartment. By the way, whose apartment is this?"

"Juniper's. She was nice enough to let the both of us crash here."

"Cool. So who was the one carrying me last night?"

He stopped rummaging for food to cook and looked at me, confused.

"Don't you remember anything about last night?"

I shook my head. "Just drinking a lot, ending up at the beach, hearing voices, and someone carrying me before I passed out."

He looked away, lost in thought.

"Did anything happen last night? Anything I need to know?" I asked.

Percy turned back to look at me and it seemed as if he was going to answer my question.

Instead, he said, "You like your eggs scrambled or sunny-side up?"

* * *

**Percy**

"Scrambled," she answered, frowning slightly at my question. I knew from her expression that she was probably hoping I'd ask something else. But there are some things that were best she didn't know.

_My vision was still a bit hazy but I could make out a familiar blond lyin' wasted on the sand. _

_"Gamóto (holy shit) it's Wise Girl," I muttered to myself, scooping her up in my arms. I turned around and almost walked straight into a smirking Rachel. Damn, when did she get here? _

_"What's she doing here?" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. _

_"Passed out and drunk, what do you think?" I snapped back at her. I was getting sick of Rachel. She acts like she has a right to control me when I'm no longer hers. _

_"Leave me alone, Rachel, you're not the boss of me," I said, trying not to fall as I walked away. _

_"Well, you're in no state to drive her home. Let someone else do it and I can take you home myself," she tried persuading me, placing her red, long-nailed hand on my shoulder and leaning in close to me. I shrugged her off, almost tripping over myself in the process. Someone's hand steadied me. _

_"Dare, leave him alone. He's not your man to control anymore. Actually, he never was," Juniper ordered. "Besides, you've taken a few shots yourself. I haven't so I'll take these two to my place."_

_Rachel's smirk turned into the cool smile of a killer cobra. _

_"You know, Green, if you didn't have that stupid crush on Grover the environmental bum, I'd assume you like Percy too."_

_Juniper's green eyes flared up, the way they always did either when she's in a fight or when she's angry. She stomped towards Rachel and slapped her hard across the face, judging from the loud clap and the red mark on her cheek. _

_"Well, you did assume and with the way it's spelled, you're an ass. A bitchy ass," Juniper spat, walking away from a speechless Rachel while tugging me along. _

_"Stop staring, Jackson, and get in the car," she instructed to me, the fire in her eyes dimming slowly. _

_I followed Juniper to her Honda Hybrid and placed Annabeth in the backseat. I totally forgot about Connor and Chris till after I safely buckled her in. _

_"You gonna win the bet so easy, Perce, and fuck her while she's out?" yelled Connor. I turned around and looked for the stupid bastard. _

_"Skáse, tha maláka (Shut the fuck up, you asshole), I don't fuck helpless chicks!" _

_"Whatever, you're gonna lose anyway," yelled Chris. _

_Ignoring them, I collapsed into the front seat next to Juniper. _

_"Thanks," I muttered to her. _

_"No prob," she answered, starting up the car and backing out into the road. "But nobody can keep helping you fend off Rachel. Ever told her you're over her?"_

_"Well, I haven't 'cause I'm not."_

_"Pretend you are. Maybe if you pretend you moved on, you will."_

_"Then please kindly explain to me how I can get her na me afísei móno (to leave me alone)," I said sarcastically._

_"Your solution is over there," she said seriously, pointing behind her to the backseat. "You're using her for the bet, aren't you? Use that to your advantage."_

_"Aren't I already usin' her for my advantage with her bein' my partner and shit?"_

_"Well, make it look like you're dating her or something. If you look like you moved on, Rachel will leave you alone."_

_"You think so?"_

_"Yeah. Just don't fall to deeply. You're in enough shit as it is. You don't need to drag her into it."_

_"I think I already have."_

"So what are we doing after breakfast?" Annabeth asked, chewing her eggs while looking at me with analyzing grey eyes.

"Are you looking at my abs?" I teased her, smiling as I watched her expression changed to surprise, disbelief, and embarassment.

"I am not!" she insisted, her cheeks coloring up as she spoke. "Besides, you have nothing I haven't seen."

"Wanna bet?" I asked, reaching down to the button of my pants. Her eyes widened.

"I really don't-"

"Whoa, Percy, please keep your pants on," Juniper said behind me. Grinning, I turned towards her.

"Calm down, Juniper, I was only kidding."

"Well, Annabeth looks a bit shocked."

I glanced back at Annabeth and she didn't look shocked, only embarrassed, judging by her blush.

"I wasn't gonna rape you or anything," I pointed out.

"Whatever. Oh, by the way, Katie Gardner called a few times last night," Juniper told her, holding out her phone and Annabeth took it.

"Thanks. What did she say?"

"I just told her you'd be crashing at my place and she said to bring you to her place."

"Okay," she said, her eyes turning misty. Wonder if she's trying to remember last night. For her sake, I hope not.

* * *

**And that's all for this chapter! Hope it was worth the wait and keep reviewing!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for all the support and reviews guys! Thanks to SeaweedBrain-WiseGirl22, DaughterOfPoseidonxD, GleekPJOFreak, Damon-salvatore-lover15, Names, MushuThePowerful, AlwaysLightThroughTheDarkness, klydo, jahfreenalam, summergirl881, C-Nuggets N.L, candy0304, BlueCottonCandy839, buzzlessbee, iluvfantasy, sarlovesoccer, and Riley Coyote for reviewing! And hooray for spring break so I can write more :) Poll results are Heroes: 5 Friends or Love: 5 Rules of Attraction: 2. For those that do want Rules of Attraction, I'm sorry but your vote won't count unless it's in the poll :/. But I am going to write these stories but course I can't do it all at once. For those that want Heroes of Olympus or who simply love my writing, do you want me to put a prequel to Heroes before or after writing Heroes of Olympus? I'll put up a poll soon so you guys can vote. And by the way, I don't live in Manhattan (unfortunately) and I have no clue how the streets work in there so Percy's address is in the book but maybe not necessarily in Lower Manhattan. I don't know I have no clue.**

**Wow, that's a pretty long author's note. I'll shut up now so you can read :) **

* * *

_Annabeth_

"So 12x plus 9 equals 33. What does x equal?" I asked Bobby and Matthew. I just came back from school and I'm helping them with their homework.

"Um, 2?" guessed Bobby.

"Yep. Great job," I congratulated him. He gave me a small smile and continued with the math.

"So if 5x minus 12 equals-"

A knock on the dorr interupted me. Out of habit, I tucked my pencil behind my ear and started walking from the dining table to the front door. I opened the door to find a familiar person in his leather jacket and a playful smirk on his tanned face.

"Hey, Wise Girl."

I rolled my eyes which gave him a teasing smile on his face.

"Don't you ever quit talking in Greek when not in school?" I asked.

"Nah, it's fun to see people all confused when I'm talking to them in Greek," he replied casually, trying to brush his way past me into the penthouse.

"Whoa, wait a minute, why are you even here?" I asked, blocking his way. "Usually, my mom doesn't like it if I invite anyone in."

"Is she even home?" I shook my head. "I'm here so we can work on our project. Now may I pass?"

"Alright fine," I sighed, moving to let him pass. "Just don't touch anything unless I say it's okay."

He entered the apartment and set his backpack down by the door, speechless at the size. When he heard the door closed, Matthew turned his attention from his homework to Percy.

"Hey, Annabeth, did you break up with Luke yet?" he asked curiously.

"No," I answered, puzzled. "Why?"

"Oh. I was just going to ask if he's your boyfriend. Never mind."

I don't know who was blushing more, me or Percy.

"He's just a friend," I told him, still blushing against my will. "My classmate at school."

"Hey, kiddo," greeted Percy.

"Hi. Hey, could either one of you help me?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion as he looked at the next math problem.

Before I could go help him, Percy was already ahead of me. He pulled up a chair and sat next to Matthew. Did the guy even get higher than a 65 in math last year?

"Okay, so what are you havin' trouble with?"

"Well, I think the problem says 12x divided by 3 plus 2 equals 4. I'm not sure though because when I try to solve it, the numbers just seem to shuffle up."

'You have dyslexia?"

"Yeah."

"Me too."

I can't help myself for being a bit shocked; I always knew that Percy performed bad at most subjects, but I didn't know it was from having dyslexia. Just like my brothers.

"Actually, I have dyslexia and ADHD, so it's hard for me to concentrate in class," he admitted. "But I had a few of my friends tutor me and I'm okay now."

"Oh. We have Annabeth to tutor us," Bobby mentioned. I felt my cheeks heat up a little as the attention shifted to me.

"Yeah, you're lucky to have a sister to help you," he said, looking intensely at me which made me blush a little more. Looking away, he resumed to help Bobby and Matthew with the rest of his math homework. For a guy with ADHD and dyslexia, he was pretty good at tutoring Bobby. He even managed to explain the problems in such a way that Bobby was able to understand. He's so much more different from Katie and Luke, I thought. They treated Bobby and Matthew as if they're invalids. Percy understand what it feels like.

"So you get it now, right?" Percy asked him.

"Yep," Bobby assured, giving him a big smile. Percy chuckled and ruffled his hair. When I'd do it, he'd normally get annoyed, but he didn't mind when Percy did it.

"Okay, so let's go," Percy said, looking at me.

"Wait, where? Aren't we going to study here?" I asked. He must've enjoyed my bewildered expression because he gave me a small smile.

"We're gonna study somewhere else."

* * *

**Percy**

Last night, I figured that to win this bet, I'd have to break down the wall between Annabeth and me. I needed her to trust me. I knew it'd be difficult, seeing that I'd have to give her a glimpse of my life to see hers. From what I've seen at her place, she wasn't the typical rich, smart, snooty girl I guess she'd be. Once she knows how my life is, she'll know I'm not some typical bad boy. I'm way more complicated than that.

We were riding into Lower Manhattan. A few people stared at us, but after they caught a glimpse of my bandanna, they turned away in fear. I parked in front of my building on One hundred and fourth and First. Annabeth's arm released me and we both got off Blackjack.

"My apartment's that one," I said, pointing to the fire escape with the few flowers my mom planted in the summer.

"That white flower is pretty," she observed, pointing out the only flower that didn't look half dead.

"That's moonlace. Gift from Calypso, a Hunter," I told her, remembering Calypso's kind face as she helped heal my wounds after a Half-Blood knife fight with the Hydras. "She's nice, but nothing more than as a friend."

She nodded slowly, her eyes turning misty with thought as she observed the building. It was pretty small compared to hers which had like hundreds of floors while mine had at least twenty. I wonder what am I to her. A friend? An enemy? Some guy she's just hanging with just 'cause I'm her Greek partner?

"Shouldn't we go inside? It's getting cold," she spoke up, her eyes stormy and focused.

"Sure," I agreed, leading her into the building.

Once I lead her into the apartment, she took her time observing the place. Against the wall was a bookshelf partly filled with a couple of cookbooks, some english textbooks, and two pictures.

"Who's this?" she asked curiously, pointing out the picture with a tall man with black hair and blue-green eyes. I swallowed nervously.

"That's my dad," I choked out, turning away from her so she couldn't see how much it hurt me. "Gods, there was so much blood. I was only six when we lost him. A drug deal."

Silence. I couldn't look at her but I've seen her a bunch of times and I knew how she'd look. Her eyes would be stormy while she thought about what to say next. I could hear the soft swishing of her hair being pushed behind her ear.

"You two look alike," she finally said, her tone showing how nervous she was. Least I managed to chip off a piece off that ice-cold wall of hers.

"Yeah. I get that all the time," I said, still turning away from her. An awkward silence fell upon us for a long time until she was the one to break it.

"Um, we should work on the project."

"Yeah."

I led her to the small dining table and she began taking out books. It was when she took out the Iliad when I said something.

"If you were given the chance to do somethin' over, what would it be?"

She stopped reaching into her bag and looked at me with wary stormy grey clouds.

"Why? What would you do? Bring your dad back?"

"Well, maybe. But I can't help thinkin' what it'd be like if things were different. What if he were alive? People say he was a good man. A good man with shitty luck. Maybe if he were alive, I'd be a different person," I said, suddenly inches away from her breathtaking eyes. I must've leaned in closer without meanin' to. They were misty again, a sign that she was really thinking about it.

"Do you want to kiss me, Percy Jackson? Because I know the look on a guy's face when he wants to and you have that look."

"Wise Girl_, _I always think about kissin' you," I admitted. Her tongue began to tease me as it flicked over her inviting lips. "If I wasn't a gang member, would you hesitate kissin' me?"

"Maybe, maybe not," she answered, unsure of another answer to give. "But what if it means something?"

"It won't."

"Promise?"

"Yes," I promised, wondering since when was I the one makin' promises I can't keep.

I didn't think she'd believe me until I saw her eyes close and she was leaning in. The second our lips touched I knew I was always going to remember this kiss. I kept kissing her softly and gently while cupping her cheek, feeling her smooth skin against my rough fingers. My tongue lightly brushes against her lips, begging for her mouth to open. A satisfied sigh escapes her mouth as if she's content with this kiss and soon, her tongue met mine. Our mouths and tongues danced in a hot, slow rhythm. The dance didn't seem to end even as the front door opened.

Too soon, Annabeth pulled away quickly, flipping to a random page in the Iliad and I caught a glimpse of Nico standing bug-eyed, my mom with her eyebrows raised, and someone hiding behind Nico.

"Nico, go to your room and take Jason with you too. Perseus, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" she said, her face unreadable which somewhat was a good sign since when I usually bring girls here, her face is skeptical and practically saying "You better not do anything stupid".

"I'm Annabeth, Ms. Jackson," Annabeth introduced herself, shyly stretching out her hand. Surprisingly, she took her hand and shook it.

"You seem like a good girl. I hope you keep him out of trouble. And call me Sally."

"Yes, ma'am, I mean, Sally."

"Percy, when you're done taking Annabeth home, I want you to meet your new adoptive brother Jason."

"'Kay, Mom."

After that weirdly good intro, I led Annabeth out of the building.

"She seemed friendly," she admitted.

"Are you kiddin'? All the other girls she met, she sent most of them runnin' to Hades," I pointed out hoping she'd laugh, but she wasn't looking at me.

"That kiss meant something," she said quietly.

"Why does it matter?"

"I have a boyfriend."

"So? What's the big deal about him anyway?" I demanded, my voice raising as it did when I'm angry. Right now I'm angry and frustrated. Frustrated that she kept hiding away, that she has a dickhead of a boyfriend, that this was turning out to be more than just winning a bet. "He treats you like some prize."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

She spun around, her storm clouds darkening. I liked that the guarded expression she had disappeared. I really wanted, no needed, to break down that wall of hers.

"Luke and I may not have been the perfect couple, but so many girls wanted him and out of all of them, he chose me. And he's a great guy, mind you, a guy that any girl would be proud dating. If I break up with him for stupid reasons, it'll hurt my pride."

"Is your pride really worth that much to you?"

She brought her face up to mine really closely and I got a look at her eyes. They looked tough and fierce at first but when I looked again, I could see innocence, sadness, and a girl wishing to be set free from her life.

"Yes. Yes it does."

* * *

**A bit short I'll admit but I'll work on making the next one longer and better! I'm super excited for Annabeth's POV of the next chapter and yes 2 more chapters till Luke and Annabeth's breakup! not much Percabeth in the next chapter but possibly some in the breakup chapter :) keep reviewing everyone!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Yay I reached 211 reviews! Thanks to Totally me123321, SeaweedBrain-WiseGirl22, demigod90210, Riley Coyote, jahfreenalam, percy'shellokitty32, summergirl881, klydo, C-Nuggets N.L, tridentguy23676, buzzlessbee, kellypr, The Olympian Scribe, ASRFTW, DaughterOfPoseidonxD, Damon-salvatore-lover15, GothicNicoLuver, LeoV44, 18, and GleekPJOFreak for reviewing. Well except for whoever tridentguy23676 is cause apparently that person doesn't know that in fanfiction, you can do whatever you want :P**

**Now to the next story I'm writing the poll results are Friends or Love-6 Heroes-5 Rules of Attraction-2. I know a lot of you reviewed and wanted Rules of Attraction, but you gotta vote in the poll for it to count. Don't worry I will write all 3 of those stories just not at the same time and I want you guys to decide which I should write first.**

**Now read! You're not getting anymore chapters for a while!**

* * *

**Percy**

I went straight home after I dropped Annabeth off in front of her building. It was a silent ride home and she went straight inside her building without even a glance back at me. When I opened the door to my apartment, I noticed Jason sitting on the couch, holding something in his hand.

"Hey, Jason. Whatcha got there?" I asked lightly. I walked towards him and knelt so I was up to his height. He opened up his hand and a silver chain bracelet glittered dimly.

"Is it yours?" I asked. He shook his head. "Well, whose is it?"

He looked away, his eyebrows scrunched up slightly as if he were trying to remember.

"I...I don't remember," he admitted sadly, his blue eyes looking so lost and helpless. "I just woke up and all I remembered was that my name is Jason and I'm twelve. The doctor says I have amnesia."

I felt bad for the poor kid. Nico was an orphan, but at least he knew who he was and who his sister was.

"You don't know anything else?" I asked. He looked down for a few minutes and I waited patiently even if it was hard for my ADHD mind. Finally, he looked back at me with an uncertain expression.

"I...I only remember a girl with blue eyes. That's it," he said quietly, looking back at the bracelet in his hand. "Percy, I'm scared."

"Hey, it's going to be alright," I tried to assure him, hugging the little blond-haired, blue-eyed boy I've grown fond of in only ten minutes. I suddenly wanted to protect him and I wanted to be sure he'd never end up like me.

* * *

After telling Jason a couple of Greek myths to make him feel better, he fell asleep and I carried him to our room. As I was approaching the door, I heard Nico hiding something under his bed. I went inside and saw him with his Mythomagic cards in his hand, trying to look as if that was all he was doing the entire time.

"What was that?" I demanded.

"_Kanénas tis epicheírisís sas_ (none of your business)," he said hurriedly. I lay Jason on my bed and quickly grabbed Nico by his collar.

"What did you say?"

"It's none of your business," he said, looking tough but his dark eyes quivered in fear.

"Are you hangin' out with Mark again?"

Mark's a fifteen-year-old Half-Blood, just a year older than Nico. Mark's the son of Ares and he often hangs with other fifteen-year-olds to recruit them in the gang. But he sometimes hangs with the younger brothers of Half-Bloods. I'm gonna have to keep Jason away from him.

"Like I said: _kanénas tis epicheírisís sas_."

"If you know Greek so well, listen up: _Eímai o adelfós sas kai ótan sas léo na meínoun makriá apó aftón , eseís kalýtera na meínete makriá _(I'm your brother and when I tell you to stay away from him, you better stay away). Understand?"

"You gotta remember that I'm not your little brother."

"It doesn't matter. Me and _mamá mou _(my mom) are lookin' after you so I have a right to tell you who to stay away from."

I dropped him on his bed and reached under his bed. I pulled out a loaded Beretta, remindin' me I can't always protect those I lo- I mean care about.

"This is why you need to stay away from him," I said, pointing the gun to his forehead, just to show him that being in a gang isn't as great as it'd seem. I've learned that the hard way. He knew I wouldn't dare shoot him, yet his eyes widened in fear. Grinning, I withdrew the gun and put it in the waistband of my jeans.

* * *

"Damn, Percy, you seem out of it," Grover pointed out, thrusting his small pocket knife, under my arm. I blocked it but the blade was too close for comfort. We've been practicing our fighting but today, my fighting reflexes were running slow.

"I know," I agreed. I thrust and he sidestepped easily, but I still managed to graze Riptide against his ribs. Our practices always end in whoever's blood spills first. "But I'm still able to beat you, G-man."

Grover sighed wearily and headed to the cooler. I followed him and he tossed me a cool water bottle. We both gulped down half of our bottles in a few minutes.

"So, what's screwin' your mind this time?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked, pouring a bit of water down my head. I flicked water droplets out of my hair, the cool October wind refreshing against my hot skin.

"It's Annabeh. Isn't it?" he grinned.

"No," I scowled. He raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe. She's just so... different from what I expected."

"Aw, don't tell me your fallin' for her."

"_Fysiká , den _(Course not). But if I'm gonna win this bet, I gotta make her fall for me and it's not gonna be easy."

"Oh well, you've got 'til November to figure it out," Grover reminded, recycling his finished bottle. "Speakin' of romance, I'm thinkin' about askin' Juniper out."

"Like on an actual date?" I choked out.

You see, Grover has always had commitment problems. Both his parents left him when he was little and he was left to live with his three uncles. It might've been okay if they could manage to have stable jobs and spend their money wisely. But no, they got kicked outta most of their jobs, they come home drunk, and beat the shit outta the poor guy practically every day. When I first met him, he was bleeding on a sidewalk and I took him to the other Half-Bloods. They offered Grover to be in the gang and now, Grover looked at everyone in the gang as his family. But because of his uncles, he's scared of getting anyone close to him in case they manage to hurt him or vice versa.

"Yeah," Grover responded confidently. "I like Juniper a lot. Sure it's been fun foolin' around with her but I wanna try settlin' down to a girl for once."

"I'm proud of you, G-man," I said, pounding him on the back.

Now if only I could learn from him and settle down someday.

* * *

_Annabeth_

I lay in my bed with the Iliad in hand, but I couldn't keep my mind off Percy. That kiss definitely meant something yet I don't regret it one bit. For a guy known to be in countless fights, a ruthless killer, and a drug dealer, he handled me carefully and gently. Luke's kisses were hot, but they're often tainted by lust. On the other hand, Percy kissed me slowly yet I could sense there was a desire for more. I knew he was just going slow for me, but I wanted more as well. I haven't had a kiss like that since the June before Luke left for the summer. I didn't realize it before, but looking back, I felt content by that kiss because somebody gave me what I've been missing in my relationship with Luke.

The doorbell rang and I stood up to get it. Before I was halfway through the hallway, my mom opened the door to find a grinning Luke. He had apologized Tuesday for what happened last Friday and now it was Friday night.

"Hi, Mrs. Chase. I was just wondering where Annabeth is," he said, smiling when he saw me.

"I'm here," I spoke up. My mom moved so Luke walked up to me and kissed my cheek.

"Hey, aren't we going to Travis' party tonight?" he reminded as he looked at my plain tank top and shorts.

"Oh sorry. I forgot about it. I'll go to my room and change."

Somehow, in half an hour, I managed to take a quick shower, re-curl my hair, apply some make-up, and dress in a silver minidress and silver flats. When I came out to the living room, my mom inspected my appearance.

"Did you condition?"

"Yes Mom."

"I think she looks perfect," Luke commented, making me blush. My mom smiled at him.

"Yes, I agree," she said. You can easily tell how much she adores Luke.

"Well, we'll go now," Luke said, holding my hand as he led me to the door.

"Bring her back by eleven."

"Yes ma'am."

We weren't too late. Katie was already there along with Silena, Michael Yew, and some other people. After hearing a bunch of compliments on my outfit, Katie pulled me over to where Silena was sitting with a bunch of other girls.

"Now that Annabeth's here, let's play Who Would You Rather Kiss?"

"Finally!" exclaimed Silena. "Okay. Mr. Apollo or Mr. Brunner?"

"Apollo!"

"Beckendorf or Michael?" asked Katie, everyone looking at Silena. She laughed nervously.

"Michael, of course. Now, Luke Castellan or Percy Jackson?"

Great, now the attention's all on me. Katie nudged me and I noticed Luke was behind us.

"Oh, everyone knows Annabeth would pick Luke," assured Katie.

"Well, just making sure," Silena shrugged.

"Silena, that's so uncool."

"What? It's just a game."

"With that question, it's no longer a game."

I got up and went to look for Luke. He was outside with a bottle of beer in his hand.

"Crap, Luke, I'm so sorry."

"You made me look like a fool, Annabeth," he slurred. Damn it, he's drunk.

"It's not my fault Silena asked that stupid question."

"It's your fault for hesitating."

"Luke, you know I love you." But did I? If so, why did I hesitate?

He didn't answer; instead, he grabbed my hand and dragged me inside. He weaved us through dancing couples and he led me inside Travis' room.

"I feel like this summer changed you," I admitted. He sat on the bed and shrugged.

"Maybe it has," he simply said. He began to kiss my neck and pull me closer to him. When he started pulling down my dress, I pushed him away.

"I don't want our relationship to be based on sex."

"Damn it, Annabeth, what's wrong with doing it now? Everyone else thinks we did it. We've been together for two years and I want to take it further."

I didn't say anything and he took it as a cue to keep going. He lay on the bed and I decided to lie on top of him. It was true what he said and I did want to take it further. Then what was holding me back? Maybe it was Percy, but that's ridiculous. I can't fall for someone I'm supposed to hate.

Luke began to kiss me and the kiss was the same as the others these days: hot and lustful. Sliding down my dress and bra, he began rubbing my breast with his hand. Trying to get in the mood, I unbuttoned his shirt and started feeling him through his pants. He got up and unzipped his pants.

"Did you lock the door?"

"Yeah," he said, more focused on taking his pants off.

He laid on the bed again. As I was starting to lie on top of him again, I noticed a picture of Luke and Travis at the beach this summer. Luke's arm wrapped intimately around the waist of a cute brunette and they were both smiling as if they shared a secret.

"Who's she?" I asked, my voice shaking a little.

"Some girl we met on the beach," he said casually as if this wasn't supposed to bother me.

"What was her name?"

"Think it was Mia or something," he said, kissing my neck again, probably trying to get my mind off of it. "C'mon, Annabeth, you're the one I want now."

Now? What did he mean now?

The door opened and a laughing Travis stumbled inside.

"Damn, where's a camera when you need one?" he laughed.

"I thought you locked the door!" I exclaimed, trying to hide myself under my dress and bra.

"Travis, get out of here. Annabeth, stop freaking out," Luke said calmly, as if this was normal.

"For the record, this is my room."

"Get out!" I said, pushing him out of the room. I huffed angrily and glared at Luke. He seemed unfazed as if it was normal for people to walk in when people are about to have sex. As if it was normal for his best friend to see me half-naked. I dressed up quickly and was about to leave until Luke's hand grabbed my arm.

"Annabeth, I'm sorry. I got caught up in the moment. Blame it on the alcohol for it."

I shrugged away from his hold.

"Well, now I'm caught up in the act of leaving. And I'm going to blame it on you."

* * *

**Haha Glee reference at the end. I was listening to "Blame It (On the Alcohol)" Glee version while writing Annabeth's POV. Well, I've got a prayer retreat to go to so no updates for a week at least. I'll try to update ASAP. Keep reviewing and voting! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry I haven't updated** **for awhile but you know, break, school, other stuff. Thanks to those who reviewed: MoeSimpson, Totally me123321, hohoho, candy0304, lelogan, Names, MushuThePowerful,  
DaughterOfPoseidonxD, SeaweedBrain-WiseGirl22, the only daughter of Pluto, Riley Coyote, Damon-salvatore-lover15, KayCee, summergirl881, percy'shellokitty32, C-Nuggets N.L, jahfreenalam, klydo, GothicNicoLuver, anonymous, JayJay-Lynn, The Olympian Scribe, and Qwerty123. You guys are awesome! Now this chapter is a bit boring so please don't kill me D: Now for the moment you've all been waiting for! *drum roll* LUKE AND ANNABETH'S BREAK-UP :) sorry it's a bit boring but I tried my best to make it better! Thanks to DaughterOfPoseidonxD for being a good beta (somewhat) and toThe Olympian Scribe for an inspiration from your review :)  
**

* * *

_Annabeth_

Last night only told me that Luke and I can no longer fit the "perfect couple" mold any longer.

After architecture, I waited for Luke to finish fencing. Since the party, I have ignored his text messages, blocked his calls, and avoided him in the hallway. I told Katie what happened and that I didn't want to see him. I could count on her to tell him to go away every time he tried to approach me. He's tried sending Travis to apologize, but Katie managed to... distract him. I'm in no mood to forgive.

Now, I stood outside the fencing arena, bracing myself for what I'm about to do. Some will call it a mistake. Okay, almost everyone will call it a mistake, but, at the moment, I don't care. The bell rang, signaling four o' clock. A group of guys emerged from the doors and I could make out Luke talking and joking around with the others.

"Luke," I called to him and at the sound of his name, he spun around to face me. He quickly began walking towards me.

"Annabeth, I'm-"

"Don't bother," I said, cutting him off. "Just walk with me."

He sucked in a deep breath and he slowly began to walk. We walked in silence which was what I wanted. I need to think a bit more and I like to do that by asking myself questions. Was it right to do this? Why was I doing it? Was it because of Percy? Possibly. Despite his gang leader status, he's proved to be a better guy than Luke. He knows when to joke around and when to be serious. He's patient compared to Luke's eagerness to take it further. Plus, who's Mia? She can't just be "some girl". No, he probably cheated on me. Luke and I aren't the perfect couple we were and I can't pretend that we are anymore.

"Luke, this won't work anymore," I said, breaking the silence and refusing to look at him. I didn't want to look into those sad, hurt, and confused eyes.

"Annabeth, I'm so sorry about last night. I'll make it up to you somehow just tell me what you want and I'll give it to you," he pleaded.

"What I want is patience and I don't think you can give me that," I told him, quietly and patiently. "Ever since this summer, all you've wanted to do was fool around and have sex. It's like you don't even care if someone saw us, as if it didn't mean anything to you. I'm sick and tired of it. I don't even know if you really love me anymore."

"Well, you don't show it either. You're busy with Percy," he tried to argue, but I just rolled my eyes.

"Luke, you're an idiot. Of course I'm spending time with Percy. I don't want to fail this project. Besides, you seem comfy and cozy with Silena," I pointed out. "Yeah, I;ve seen you checking her out, staring at her ass. I heard she broke up with Michael. What are you going to do once we're done? Or should I say who? Certainly, you're not going to mope around like a broken-hearted lovesick puppy."

"Don't do this. Please don't end it between us," he begged, trying to hold my hand. I shoved away his outstretched hand.

"No. It's over, Luke," I finalized, trying my best not to allow my voice to quiver. I can't afford for him to see weakness in me. I saw his eyes harden like ice and he gave me a cool smile.

"I had sex with Mia. Just thought you should know," he admitted. Stupid fucking cheater. In an instant, my hand slapped his cheek, leaving behind a satisfying red mark.

"_Mi milás poté gia ména kai páli _(Never talk to me again)," I spat at him, quickly walking away.

I felt a tear burn hot against my skin like melting wax and I angrily wiped it away, swallowing a sob back down my throat. I wasn't going to cry for someone who doesn't deserve my tears. I was going to make that bastard pay.

* * *

**Percy**_**  
**_  
For the second time in the first two months of the school year, I got pulled outta class. I had no clue why 'cause I've been trying to avoid causing trouble as much as possible. Someone in the gang must've screwed up and put the blame on me.

Two burly security guards were dragging me to the gym (apparently, no matter how lazy Mr. D looked, he seriously posted security guards throughout the school) and one of them picked up a regular-looking basketball.

"This look familiar to you, Jackson?" one of them asked. I've never picked up a basketball since middle school.

"Nope," I sighed, getting impatient and my ADHD definitely wasn't helpin'. What did this have to do with me already? "And 'sides, what's wrong with it?"

Guard #1 turned the ball and I gulped nervously. It was an exact replica of the Half-Blood sign. A lightning bolt in the middle with two tridents pointing at its side and two bones crossing over the bolt like how a skull with crossbones would look like 'cept without the skull. The symbol was mostly everywhere. Our bandannas, a few of our meeting places, on our territory. It defines us who we are and what we represent: Greek Half-Bloods.

"Someone mentioned seeing you in the gym," Guard #2 informed me.

"Who?" I demanded. That _psémata kátharma _(lying bastard) is gonna pay.

"Doesn't matter," #1 said, dropping the ball with a loud thud. "People have told you're the leader of the gang. It must have been you."

The doors of the gym opened behind me and I saw Mr. Brunner wheeling through. His eyes bore through mine sadly, as if he were silently saying "I expected more from you."

"Mr. Brunner, what are you doing here?" #2 asked, surprised as much as I was.

"Well, I heard Percy was in trouble and I wanted to make sure the charges are correct," Mr. Brunner answered calmly.

"Sir, he vandalized school property," #1 explained, picking up the ball and showing the symbol.

"Alright, what's all the big fuss about? I've got an important meeting going on and I can't afford to lose precious time of it with nonsense," I heard Mr. D ask impatiently. Someone started the day without hisr cup of coffee.

"It looks like Percy vandalized school property," Mr. Brunner explained while Guard #1 showed the ball again. Mr. D's face turned to a bright red and you could see purple veins bulging from the side of his neck.

"Perseus Jackson, not only are you getting suspended, but you're getting arrested!" he yelled.

"Mr. Brunner, you've had detention with me. You know I wouldn't do that," I tried to persuade him, but he looked at me with concerned brown eyes.

"Although I believe you are a good person at heart, I can't be so sure," he said sadly. "Have you checked his locker yet?"

"No, not yet."

They led my down the hall to my locker and tried to open it. I could hear Mr. D muttering furiously to himself, "I still think we should arrest him." Everybody hates the gang leader.

"Good luck. All you'll find are books," I said, leanin' back carelessly but inside, I was scared shitless. All these years, I've been surfing through the dangerous waves without heading straight into the deep stuff. And now, I'm getting in trouble for something I didn't do.

With a satisfied smirk, Guard #1 pulled out a can of black spray paint with its cover missing. The Fates are really screwing with me.

"I swear on the Styx that's not mine," I tried to convince them. Mr. Brunner sighed wearily.

"I wish I could believe you, Percy, but the evidence clearly states that this was your doing."

"I swear it's not me!"

"Evidence clearly shows that it was. You have no one to blame but yourself for getting involved in a gang."

Guard #2 placed handcuffs on me and led me outside the school. Once I was led inside a car, I started panicking. When I find the fucking traitor, he's gonna pay. If my mom finds out I'm in jail, I'm bein' sent to Hades.

At the police station,the guards thew me in a cell with one other guy with sandy blond hair and grey eyes.

"So, what did you do to get here?" he asked lazily.

"None of your fuckin' business," I responded, pacing 'round the room, trying to think of who can bail me out. Juniper? Nah, Grover asked her out and their date's tonight. That leaves Grover out too. Connor? Doesn't have the money or the time since he spends both to gamble for money. Rachel? She'd let me rot in Tartarus if given the choice. My mom? Again, I'd be sent to Hades and be forced to get outta the gang which I just can't do. Annabeth? Her parents weren't gonna let her bail out a gang member.

"Whatever," the guy said, shrugging. "Hey, aren't you the leader of the Half-Bloods?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Thought so. I've seen you around school. Name's Malcolm."

"Aren't you that junior that hangs with Annabeth? What're you doing here?"

"Smashed my neighbor's window. Crazy old lady let one of her cats loose and I'm horribly allergic to cats. I lost control, I guess. What 'bout you?"

"None of your business what happened. All you gotta know was that I got framed. How are you gettin' out?"

"Mom's a lawyer. She's used to bailing me out."

Huh. Annabeth hung out with undercover criminals. Who knew? Wonder if Little Miss Perfect ever screwed up in her life. Well, bein' my partner was a start. Then again, sometimes, she seemed more comfortable 'round me than other Uppers. And it was the same with me. I like bein' with her. Even if we came from different places, we were still so alike. We both hated being in the spotlight even if we played the part well. It didn't really matter that we fought a lot. It's fine messin' with her. But she's too perfect for me. Besides, she wouldn't ruin her reputation for someone like me, gang leader or not. If only life didn't keep gettin' in the way, maybe she'd let herself fall for me and maybe I could catch her.

"Percy Jackson, go make your phone call," the guard on duty said, opening the prison door.

Making up my mind, I picked up the phone and pressed the buttons. After the first two rings, he picked up.

"Hey, Ares? I need your help."

* * *

**Me: So what's gonna happen once Percy's outta jail?**

**DaughterOfPoseidonxD: idk you tell me**

**Me: Wait...didn't you read the book?**

**DaughterOfPoseidonxD: OH YEA! Percy's-**

**Me: *covers her mouth* shhhh not in front of the readers!**

**DaughterOfPoseidonxD: Meh fine. What are the poll results?**

**Me: Glad you asked! Its Friends or Love: 9 Heroes of Olympus: 5 Rules of Attraction: 5**

**DaughterOfPoseidonxD: Aw, I want Heroes of Olympus 'cause it's about us. Oh well, you can write about how much we hate that girl's boyfriend xD**

**Me: Yea I want Heroes of Olympus too. But dont worry readers I WILL write all these stories..well not sure about Heroes of Olympus when The Son of Neptune comes out. We'll see. DOnt forget to review, favorite, vote, breathe, eat, sleep, hate Twilight and love Percy Jackson! (no offense to those who like Twilight I just strongly hate it) :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry I haven't updated in forever :/ but thanks to HaileyJackson, jahfreenalam, , DaughterOfPoseidonxD, toogoode99, maximilian7, BubbleParty, kellypr, crzydanclvr, Damon-salvatore-lover15, Syrena Aria, arissaprincess321, MoeSimpson, soulofdragon1, Names, SeaweedBrain-WiseGirl22, greek . mythology . lover, JRRVS, BlueCottonCandy839, biebermania09990, GothicNicoLuver, zoeybird323, GothicNicoLover, Sanelaa, AnnaAvril555, klydo, Jia-Lerman-Jonas, Nat, demigod90210, buzzlessbee, PersonOfEarth303, Percabeth4711, percy'shellokitty32, starglow13, C-Nuggets N.L, Riley Coyote, PJOWiseGirl, Totally me098, JayJay-Lynn, summergirl881, and Wisegirl-Seaweedbrain for reviewing.**

**Poll results: Rules of Attraction: 17 Friends or Love: 13 Heroes: 5**

**I'll try to update faster!**

* * *

_Annabeth_

Exhausted from everything that happened today, I stepped inside the penthouse and quietly closed the door behind me. I shut my eyes, enjoying the temporary silence.

The blissful moment was interrupted immediately by the sound of china shattering. I opened my eyes to find the remains of one of our expensive and fragile plates on the floor beside me. Bobby and Matthew zipped past me with Mom vigorously chasing them, her face bursting with anger and frustration.

"BOBBY AND MATTHEW CHASE, STOP THIS NONSENSE RIGHT NOW!" she yelled, her fiery, furious behavior different from her calm and rational personality.

I ran after her, ignoring the slight headache that was beginning to form. Honestly, my life is basically like running full speed and non-stop through an endless maze, constantly using my brain to get out of situations and always encountering another obstacle.

A scream echoed through the spacious penthouse, causing me to run even faster. I burst through my parents' bedroom door and froze in shock. More pieces of broken china were scattered around the room, the furniture was in disarray and yogurt was dripping off Mom's new silk blouse and pencil skirt. Her eyes flashed like an ominous grey storm cloud of an upcoming thunderstorm.

"This is the last straw, Robert and Matthew Chase! I don't care what your father has to say about this. I cannot live in a household full of rambunctious, disgraceful children!" she yelled, reaching into her sweater pocket for her Blackberry. I grabbed her hand.

"Mom, no! You know they didn't mean to," I tried to reason, but she shoved my hand away and pulled her phone out.

"Oh, I know that they're incapable of controlling themselves and someone else in Child Services should teach them!" she insisted.

Tears stood in my eyes; poor little Bobby and Matthew looked terrified. I firmly grabbed her hand with the Blackberry faced her fuming eyes that resembled mine.

"Mother, this isn't the smart thing to do! You know how hard it is for them already. Don't call Child Services please!" I pleaded.

"Why do you insist on protecting them?" she demanded. "They're only your half-brothers!"

"I don't care! I love them both either way and I won't let you take them away from me!"

Even more frustrated and determined than ever, she forcefully shoved me aside. My grip loosened and I fell headfirst on the solid wooden frame of the bed. I felt something warm trickling down my head and heard the sound of my mom's voice frantically on the phone before I blacked out.

**Percy**

"Wow, she's really hot," Beckendorf said for the hundredth time as I was repairing an old Civic.

"Yeah, I know," I just said, my mind shifting from my job to the golden-haired beauty that I kissed only an hour ago.

"You know you can't possibly keep her with the life you have now," he pointed out. "Better cherish her while you still got her."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. When did you turn into my wife?" I teased him.

"Just remindin' you," he shrugged.

His phone beeped and he flipped it open to see the text message.

"What's it say?" I asked as I rolled out from under the Civic.

"It's from Ares. He's comin' here and wants to talk to you."

Crap. He probably wants some "payment" for bailin' me out.

Engines roared outside the garage door and we knew they were here. Beckendorf walked towards the entrance to opened the door and I grabbed a washcloth to wipe off the dirt and sweat off my face. Once the door opened, Ares entered the garage along with Hermes, the gang's second-in-command. Ares gestured for me to follow him. As I followed them, he led us to the back room that we used for some gang meetings. The only ones in the room were Ares, Hermes, and me. Someone stood by the door, but I knew they wouldn't be able to hear our meeting.

"You're a smart kid, Percy," Ares started, watching me closely. "You must know why we're here."

"You want me to pay you back for bailin' me out?" I guessed, shrugging my shoulders. He grinned.

"Exactly."

"So what is it you want me to do?"

Ares and Hermes exchanged glances. When Hermes nodded, Ares looked at me with excitement in his eyes.

"There's going to be a shipment due on October 31st at Montauk," he stated.

"I don't deal with drugs. You know that," I pointed out, knowing that it was pointless to avoid the situation.

"If you want to lead the Half-Bloods, you got to do your part and that includes drug dealing once in a while," he said reasonably.

"No."

"I wish it were that simple, Perseus," he said, the sound of my given name makin' me flinch. "But remember, you still owe me. By the way, how's your _mitéra_ (mother)?"

"_Próstimo _(Fine). Why?" I asked carefully. Again with the questions about my mom.

"Tell her I said hi," he said, the fire in his eyes glinting dangerously.

"Well, it's settled," he finalized, gesturing to Hermes that it was time to go.

Once they left, I let out a huge, frustrated sigh. I wish I could get outta the gang while protecting my family at the same time. Too bad the only way to protect them is to go on this drug deal. _Theoí na me voithísei _(Gods help me).

* * *

**Sorry it was a bit short but ill include more Percabeth next time and explain things! dont forget to review and check out my fictionpress account. link's on my profile**


	14. Chapter 14

**So sorry i kinda disappointed you guys with the last chapter but im making it up. thanks to Damon-salvatore-lover15, Resa Hemoor, ASenseofImagination, GothicNicoLover, kimikumexi, BlueCottonCandy839, Percabeht, ihatemakingupusernames, Percy's sweetheart, DammitimmaD, AnnaAvril555, Neptune-Minerva22, ZenithFourDemigods, Bob Hammilton, Syrena Aria, arissaprincess321, JayJay-Lynn, Person, C-Nuggets N.L, Riley Coyote, percy'shellokitty32, soulofdragon1, buzzlessbee, summergirl881,DaughterOfPoseidonxD and klydo for reviewing.**

**Poll results: Rules- 18 Friends-13 Heroes- 6. DaughterOfPoseidonxD dont kill anyone for not voting for heroes of olympus**

**OH YEA! IMPORTANT NOTE: READ ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR! PLEASE FOR DaughterOfPoseidonxD! now read :)**

* * *

**Percy  
**  
Since I'm somewhat officially dating Annabeth, I texted her last night to ask if she could meet me at the library. So now, I'm waiting for her outside the New York Public Library. Just when I thought that she's not coming, I saw her walking towards me wearing a black trench coat, jeans, black boots, and a Yankees cap. I couldn't help but smile at her, despite the butterflies in my stomach.

"So, are we here to study? Because that's what I told my mom," she said, her grey eyes shining in the dim light of the street lamps.

"Nope. We're going somewhere else tonight," I grinned as I saw her frown in disappointment.

"Not your place I hope," she warned.

"As much as my mom loved you, we're not going there," I assured, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the street.

"Percy, what are we doing at the Chrysler Building?" Annabeth asked as I stopped at the back door.

"Connor's dad works here," I pointed out, pulling out a key. "He lent me this key just in case I need it."

"We're not stealing anything, right?" she asked nervously. "And where does this door lead to anyway?"

I grinned at her as I opened the door. I held out my hand.

"You'll see."

She took it.

After climbing about a billion stairs, we reached the top. Before I opened the door, I looked at her.

"Hold on to your hat 'cause this might blow you away," I warned, grinning again.

"Just open the door, Seaweed Brain," she teased, returning the grim with a smile.

I opened it and we were greeted by a strong gust of wind. She held on to her cap and I stepped outside. She followed, one hand on her head, the other around my arm. I led her and she finally gained enough strength to look around.

"Oh, wow," she sighed.

The city of Manhattan shone before us. Lines of light which were really cars streamed several feet below. Buildings stretched all the way up to the sky and the surfaces reflected different colors of light. Bridges lit up overhead. Overall, the scene is just breathtaking.

"Now isn't this way better than studying?" I asked as she watched, mesmerized.

"It definitely is," she sighed.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past us. The force was so strong that it blew her cap off her head. I chased after it and caught it before it fell off the building. I heard her footsteps and I turned to give it back to her. That's when I noticed the gauze on the side of her head. Even with almost no light, I could see her blush a deep red.

"_Theoí_ (Gods), Annabeth, what happened to you?"

_Annabeth_

I couldn't stop myself from blushing in embarrassment. My head started to throb as I remembered what happened last night.

"It's nothing," I tried to convince him, but he placed his hand on the gauze. I winced, but I didn't move away.

"What happened?" he asked softly. I sighed and I told him what happened.

"Why would she get mad at her own sons?" he asked.

"Well...they're not really her sons by blood," I admitted slowly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

I hesitated for a moment. I've never told anyone the truth, not even Katie. I wasn't sure that I should tell him this. Then again, he confessed about his dad, proving me that he isn't the cold, heartless gang leader everyone thinks he is.

"My mom was on one of her business trips that took her about a year. I was seven at that time. While she was gone, my dad met another woman. He ended up getting her pregnant and she gave birth to twin boys. She gave them to my dad and left New York. No one knows where she is now."

"When my mom came back home to sons that weren't hers, she and my dad had the biggest fight. That night, I couldn't stand to hear the screams, the yells. I grabbed a backpack, filled it with clothes and money and ran away. It took the police about two weeks for them to find me and bring me home. My parents decided to just keep the twins and act as if my mom was pregnant throughout her trip and gave birth during it."

"Ever since then, I put up the facade that my family is picture perfect. I put it up by being the top student of every class I was in so no one would bother to think that anything is wrong. That's why being perfect is so important to me."

I finished, waiting for him to respond. It took awhile until he broke the silence.

"Looks like we both have fucked up pasts," he said. I laughed at that.

"Pretty much," I agreed.

He looked at me with shining green eyes. We just stood there, looking at each other for a while.

"At least now I know you're not perfect. I hate perfect girls," he grinned, kissing me.

His lips were as warm and inviting as before. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my body against his. His hands were entwined with my hair. He wrapped his arms around waist, keeping me close. He makes me feel protected, safe. Needed. Something I haven't felt in so long. Some logical part in my brain thought it'd be stupid to fall for him, but my heart kept telling my brain to shut up and keep kissing him.

After several minutes, we pulled away, panting heavily. Wind pulled strands of my hair away from my face and soon, I felt his warm, rough hand gently cup my cheek. All I wanted to do was stay here with him.

"Do you love me, Wise Girl?" he asked softly. I licked my lips nervously. Do I?

"Maybe, Seaweed Brain" I answered slowly. "Do you love me?"

"Maybe," he answered, smiling shyly. "Just maybe."

He kissed me again and I let my mind run loose. Even if I wasn't sure if I love him or not, I know that I was definitely attracted by him.

* * *

**so yea reviews make my day :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry if I disappoint some of you with that short chapter earlier but I'm making it up to you by updating this soon. thanks to reViewer, Thalico-freak-99-Hecatejewel, Love, Syrena Aria, BabyYou'reAllThatIWant, Eminemlistener, Cassie's Neighbor, rockerchic4ever, socrgrl24, MushuThePowerful, anonymous101, Someone wearing tie-dyed socks, Neptune-Minerva22, ben11599,  
arissaprincess321, klydo, seaweed brain girl, C-Nuggets N.L, starglow13, Nat, summergirl881, percy'shellokitty32, buzzlessbee, DaughterOfPoseidonxD, percabeth4evr, thegayperson, and Pi is314 for reviewing. Cant believe it's already almost 400! so to celebrate 400th reviewer gets a sneak peek at one of the chapters (must be 13 or older to win 'cause this will cetainly contain T possibly even M scenes).**

**Poll results: Rules: 18 Friends: 13 Heroes: 6 -_- looks like i may not even write Heroes of Olymous cause i wanna write it before The Son of Neptune comes out. Oh well. Check out my fictionpress story at s/2919230/1/Falling_for_the_Wrong if you wanna know a little bit about my life.. even though all the stuff in this story is what i WISHED would happen in my life. also check out s/7036073/1/Alls_Fair_in_Love_and_War for a little prequel to Heroes of Olymous (if ill ever publish that). now ill shut up you n you guys read :)**

* * *

_Annabeth_

"What? She sent them away?" Katie gasped in surprise.

"Yeah. Right after she took me to the hospital. I felt like losing control of myself when I found out," I told Katie.

We were sitting in my room and I had just told her what happened the other night. I haven't told her yet about the little date Percy and I had last night. She still isn't too happy that I've moved on so quickly, let alone to Percy. The house has been so quiet without Mathew and Bobby running around or playing with Lego's.

"You must miss them so much," she sympathized. She's practically the only Upper who really understands what I'm going through even if she's never been in the same situation.

"I do. And I'm so mad at my mom that it'll be difficult to forgive her," I sighed.

"Well, sooner or later, you'll both come to your senses. You'll forgive her and she'll bring Bobby and Matthew back," she tried to reassure me.

"You know my mom. You know she's not the type to easily change her mind," I pointed out.

"Still. She's bound to work things out with you at some point."

"I hope so."

"Hey, can I ask you something?" she said hesitantly.

"Yeah. What is it?"

"Do you really care about Percy?" she questioned.

For a moment, I kept quiet, questioning myself on how I felt about Percy. I definitely do not have any more feelings for Luke at all. Besides, Percy's completely different from any other guy I've been with before. He makes me feel safe, free, as if I could be myself around him. I haven't felt that way ever since Bobby and Matthew were born and everything depended on me.

"Yeah, I do," I admitted.

"Has he been taking care of you? I don't want you to come crying to me in a one-month period," she warned.

"Yes he has, Katie. You're starting to sound like my mom," I lightly teased.

"Still. I don't want to see you hurt, Annabeth," she reminded me softly, her hazel eyes showing great concern. I sighed quietly.

"Don't worry about me," I tried to reassure her.

"So you two have been completely honest with each other? Nothing holding you two back?" she asked.

"Well, I still want him to leave the Half-Bloods, but I'm sure he'll leave once we graduate college," I tried to convince her.

"Have you ever thought about..you know..doing it with him?" she asked as I felt my cheeks warm up furiously.

"Once in a while," I admitted.

"Well, as a best friend, I'll offer you advice, If you want to keep the guy, you've got to do everything in your power to keep him. That is, if you really and truly love him."

"Thanks, Katie. I know I can count on you," I thanked her, feeling very grateful that I have a very trustworthy friend that hasn't let me done.

* * *

**Percy**

After finishing an intense practice session at the Half-Bloods' fighting arena, I'm now simply relaxing and just talking to Connor. He just talked about Kayla and how to get her to go out with him and mentioned a few comments about Annabeth. We never mentioned the bet but I'm pretty sure it's in both of our minds.

The sound of a car engine interrupted our conversation.

"Looks who's ready to get his ass kicked," commented Connor as Grover walked up to us.

"Looks like your ass was already kicked," he retorted which was uncommon for him. Normally, he'd shrug insults off.

"Perce, I need to talk to you. Alone," he said, emphasizing the 'alone' part.

"Hey, if it's about Juniper, just 'cause I don't have a girlfriend doesn't mean I suck at girlfriend problems," Connor said.

"Actually, you do suck at girlfriend problems. it'd help a lot if you'd actually get one," I told him. I turned back to Grover. "Where do you have in mind?"

"Just come with me."

* * *

The place Grover had in mind was Half-Blood Alley. At the moment, it was deserted which made it a good place to talk alone.

What surprised me is that Grover had his pocket knife in hand. He says he's only a pacifist most of the time 'till it's necessary to fight.

"Come at me," he simply said, sounding totally unafraid.

I didn't even hesitate. Taking out Riptide, I made a quick jab for his arm. He moved out of the way and aimed for my knife, probably trying to disarm me. I sidestepped and jabbed at his stomach. He quickly stepped backwards. It was the same pattern over and over again. Attack, block, attack, dodge.

"Do you think I was meant to be a fighter?" he asked, again aiming for my hand.

"Hades no," I admitted, pushing away his knife with my blade. "You're too obvious and timid. I can tell you just want to disarm me, not even try hurting me. Every time I attack, you move away. I'm glad there's somethin' else you can do for the Half-Bloods other than fight."

"Well," he said, swinging his foot, trying to knock me off my feet. I only jumped. "There are some things we're meant to suck at."

In a flash, I quickly disarmed him without warning. I was only sweating a little but he was panting and sweat was dripping off from his forehead.

"What are you trying to say, G-man?"

"Your my best friend, Percy. I can't just keep watching at the sidelines as you plan to ruin your life," he admitted.

"If this is about the drug deal, stay out of it," I demanded.

"It is and I won't. Perce, you're a good guy and good guys aren't meant to deal with drugs. Hell, you're not even meant to be in a gang in the first place. You're smart too. I know I've got nothin' left to do with my life but you do. You actually have a shot at college, gettin' a good job, endin' up way better than the rest of the Lowers here"

"If I'm your best friend, then you should know that I have no choice. It's either the drug deal or my family gets killed."

"Get them away from here then. Get out of the gang, move out of the state, just don't get involved in this," he pleaded.

I could tell he was just being sincere. But there's nothing I can do about the drug deal, just like there's nothing I could do to prevent my father from being killed.

"Who's gonna stop me then? You? You're too timid to beat me at a simple knife fight."

"And you've always been too stubborn. You keep getting yourselves into all this trouble. That's how you ended up making the bet. And you're so loyal to your family that you're willing to risk it all just to keep them safe. But you gotta know when to act for yourself."

"Sorry but I'm already involved in the deal. And there's nothing you or anyone can do to convince to get me out of it," I said, starting to walk away.

"Not even Annabeth?" he asked, making me stop in my tracks.

"What about her?"

"You love her," he stated simply as if it were a fact. "I can see it in your eyes just when I mentioned her name."

"Not even she can make me quit the deal," I said, sounding confident when I really don't know about that.

"Really? You would risk losing her, losing a chance at love, for the sake of a deal that could cost you your life?" he questioned. "Besides, if you lose her, you'll lose the bet and Blackjack."

"Don't even remind me of the bet," I said quietly.

Maybe it's true what he's saying. Maybe I am in love with Annabeth. Never had I been this attracted to a girl for so long. Never had I kissed a girl with so much passion. Never had I brought anyone up to the top of the Chrysler building, a place where I only come to when looking for peace and quiet. But never had I ever truly fallen in love.

And that stupid bet is blocking the way too. What'll happen if a Half-Blood tells her about it? I'll probably lose her for good. I could quit but a Half-Blood without a ride is a disgrace. And what about the drug deal? I'm sure she'd disapprove of it and try to talk me out of it. But I know that if she does, I won't do it anyway. So I might lose her then.

The love of my life or the gang that controls my life. That's a pretty hard choice to make. And I might just lose both of them.

* * *

**well isn't Percy in a dilemma. and he'll definitely be torn after i post the next chapter ;) review make my day!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry I havent updated in awhile I've just had a HORRIBLE week starting with my best guy friend getting jumped right before my eyes and today, i found out my aunt might not come to visit :(. Those who reviewed last chapter such as CHiKa-RoXy, Guyluver14, Love, Riley Coyote, Cassie's Neighbor, So True, BubbleParty, Mundster Madman, BlueCottonCandy839, DaughterOfPoseidonxD, Names, Neptune-Minerva22, klydo, Syrena Aria, C-Nuggets N.L, Bob Hammilton, ISolemnlySwear-MischiefManaged, PersonOfEarth303, DammitimmaD, starglow13, summergirl881, JayJay-Lynn, Lostinmylalaland, Someone wearing tie-dyed socks, Pi is314, buzzlessbee, and EPICThunder are the ones who drove me to keep writing even through the most horrible times I was experiencing.**

**I cant believe theres only... 4 more chapters left plus an epilogue! but dont worry there will be a sequel! since rules of attraction is winning (rules: 18 friends:13 heroes: 6) ill start rules of attraction right after i complete perfect chemistry.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own half of Percy's POV. The wording isnt the same but the idea is. for those who read Perfect Chemistry, you'll know this isn't original. Oh yea i dont own PJO or Perfect Chemistry.**

* * *

_Annabeth_

"Hey, is this Annabeth?" a familiar voice said over the phone. I looked at the caller ID and saw only the cell phone number.

"Yes. Why?"

"Oh good. It's Grover."

"Grover? How did you get my number?"

"Long story short- Connor gave me your number by stealing it from Percy's phone."

"Oh. Wait, why are you calling me in the first place?"

"Oh, right. I need you to come with me somewhere to persuade Percy for something. I'll explain on the way."

"But you're his best friend. Can't you talk him out of whatever it is?"

"There are just some things Percy Jacksonwon't let me talk him out of it," he muttered. "Anyway, meet me in Central Park by six. And don't bring your car. I'll explain on the way."

He hung up and I prepared to go down to my car when I opened the door to see my mom with her hands on her hips.

"Where are you going? You need to rest your head," she reminded me.

"To see Percy," I simply said, not wanting to lie to her even if I knew that she wouldn't like it when she finds out Percy is a gang leader.

"And who is Percy?" she asked cautiously.

"My partner in Greek. We're working on a project together," I told her. It wasn't really a lie, but it wasn't the main reason I wanted to see him.

"He's not making you do all the work, is he?" she asked.

"No, Mom. Now, I've got to go before I'm late," I muttered, walking past her and down the hallway to the door.

"Wait," she called just as I was about to open the door.

"I just want to say... that I'm sorry for what happened before," she apologized. "I never meant to hurt you."

"Yeah, I know, but I'll never completely forgive you unless you bring Matthew and Bobby back," I said.

"I'm not going to do that. I can't live with them any longer. Plus, what are the neighbors thinking of me, raising such scandalous and unruly children? I don't know-"

"Just stop it, Mom," I demanded, gritting my teeth in frustration. "Why does it always have to be about you, about how everything's affecting you?"

"Why, Annabeth," she said, shocked at my sudden outburst. "I've given you everything. Designer clothes, an expensive car, everything any ordinary girl would want."

"But not any freedom," I admitted bitterly. "You've always treated like some doll that you can dress up and make it act properly to make for the 'disgraces' of your life. Every time I make a small mistake, you treat it as if it were the end of the world. And I'm tired of it."

I opened the door. I didn't look back at my mom; I didn't want to see her expression.

"I'll be staying at Katie's house," I told her as I closed the door behind me.

"Okay, I'm here. Now what do you want me to do to Percy?" I asked Grover as he led me to his Honda Hybrid.

"Well, you see, he's gonna be doin' a drug deal tomorrow and-"

"WHAT? He can't do that!" I yelled. All this time, I thought he'd try to avoid getting arrested or in trouble. I'm pretty upset that I'm wrong for once.

"I understand, but I'm tryin' my best to talk him outta it. But he won't listen to me. So I thought maybe he'd listen to you," he shrugged helplessly. I sighed.

"Just take me to him," I muttered.

When we both got in and Grover began driving, I wracked through my brain on what I'm going to say to convince Percy. We're both pretty stubborn, but I really need to prevent him from going on this drug deal.

"How's Juniper?" Grover asked hurriedly, as if he were afraid to ask me that question.

"Juniper's fine, last I saw her," I said cautiously. "Why? What did you do to her?"

"Nothin' really. We kinda fooled around last week though, but I told her I didn't wanna get into a serious relationship," he explained. "I don't wanna hurt her so I was just wonderin' how she's going through it."

"Juniper's pretty strong even if she doesn't really show it a lot," I reassured him. "Why don't you want to go out with her? Both of you seem to mutual feelings towards each other."

"It's my uncles," he confessed quietly. "They never treated me right, always hitting me when I get home. I don't wanna get close to anyone in fear of getting hurt."

The entire ride was eerily silent except for the sounds of Manhattan continuing on outside the windows. I wonder if Juniper even knows. Now, I realized that everyone has a story that explains their actions.

* * *

**Percy**

"So, change of plans. Since Montauk's a bit far from here, we're assigning you to deal with a shipment on Atlantic Beach. Same day which is tomorrow. It's about an hour away so you'll have to leave a bit early. The shipment's due to come in at 10pm after closing hours. Someone will hand you a box and you are to show him or her your tattoos, bandanna, and license. Once you get the name of that person, take the box, strap it on Blackjack and get them out as quickly and quietly as possible. If anyone threatens you during or after the deal, do all in your power to make them leave you alone without then taking the shipment."

"Now, any questions?" Ares asked me.

I kept quiet. I'm not exactly a genius but I do have a decent memory. At the central meeting place of the Half-Bloods where Ares himself stays in, it's best to keep your mouth shut unless otherwise told.

"Good! I can see this go smoothly," he said. "Now, does anyone have any advice for Perseus? It's his first drug deal after all."

"Don't be too slow to accept the shipment," Hermes advised. "Just go through with it as quickly as possible."

I nodded in thanks. No one else said a word. Suddenly, we heard a can clatter to the ground and someone cursing in Greek. Ares gestured for Beckendorf to check it out. He came back with Grover, cursing under his breath about stupid cans distracting him. He was probably here to eavesdrop and try to stop me from going. What surprised me was that Annabeth came after him.

"I know Grover, but I don't know you," Ares said, his eyes glowing a dangerous dark orange like a flame ready to burst. Any trespassers on Half-Blood matters are treated with a harsh beating.

"Yeah. She's not a Half-Blood or a Hunter. She even looks like an Upper," Hermes added. "What should we do with her?"

"No, wait, she's a friend of mine," I told them quickly. There was confusion on everyone's faces except Grover and Beckendorf.

"_Énas fílos me parochés_ (a friend with benefits)," muttered Grover.

"_Skáse_ (shut up)," I told him. Thankfully, Annabeth punched him in the gut for me.

"Well, you better hope she didn't hear all the details for tomorrow night. Or else we'd have to assume that your little girlfriend's spying for another gang," Ares warned.

"I didn't hear anything and I'm not spying for any other gang what so ever," Annabeth assured them. Ares didn't look so convinced yet.

"Swear on the River Styx," he demanded.

"I swear on the River Styx that I didn't hear all the details and that I'm not spying for any other gang," she swore. Coincidentally, thunder roared in the distance.

"Sounds like it's going to rain. Percy, you better escort your girlfriend home and head home yourself. Grover, you too," Ares instructed. I nodded and grabbed Annabeth by her hand.

Raindrops were already starting to fall as I walked to Blackjack. They poured down on my hair, causing it to cling close to my forehead and just above my eyes. I glanced back at Annabeth, who shivered slightly from the cold. Even though she was wearing her own jacket, I took mine of and wrapped it around her. She muttered a thank-you, but a glance at her misty eyes told me she was thinking hard and that she probably heard some part about me going on the drug deal.

"Where's your car?" I yelled slightly over the thundering rain.

"I didn't bring it. Grover drove me," she yelled back.

I cursed under my breath. I hopped on Blackjack and she automatically followed me, wrapping her arms tightly around my waist.

As we drove through the busy streets, she broke the silence we kept since we left.

"This isn't the way to my building," she pointed out. I grinned.

"We'll get there," I simply told her. "But first, we need to go somewhere. We need to talk."

I drive last the entrance to Central Park. No one was around to notice a motorcycle driving through Central Park. I found a big tree with its branches acting as an umbrella, the rain simply dripping over the leaves and not dropping on the ground below the branches. I hopped off Blackjack and so did Annabeth. I dropped Blackjack to the ground gently and grabbed Annabeth under the tree. I leaned back against the trunk.

"Why did Grover bring you?" I asked.

"He told me, Percy. He told me about the drug deal. I thought you'd at least try to stay safe in the gang or try to get out," she said, her eyes a furious, stormy grey. "I thought that was what you wanted."

"Well, I had no choice," I repeated for the hundredth time. "It's either the deal or my family. You out of all people should know about sacrifices for family."

"Why can't you just get out of it? You'll be better off without a gang," she tried to persuade me.

"No, it's too dangerous. My dad tried to get out and look how that turned out for him. It's not that easy," I told her.

"I don't care. I'm giving up everything for you. My family, my friends. Why can't you do the same? Do you love me?"

"Gods, yes I do."

"Then prove it."

Not knowing how else to prove it, I grabbed her close to me and crashed her lips against mine. The smell of rain and her familiar lemon scent helped me relax after all the pressure that's been pushed on to me. I wrapped my arms around her waist and she wraps her arms around my neck, weaving her fingers into my hair. Grabbing one of her hands, I gently pulled her down so that we were now making out on the grass. While one of her hands was entwined in my hair, the other was slowly trailing down my stomach. Before she could go any farther, I flipped us over so that I was the one on top of her. As I was kissing her neck, I could hear her softly moan. Gods, I could make the both of us forget about all the bad stuff. I could make us forget about the deal, the gang, hell even the whole world. All I kept thinkin' about was her.

Kissing her neck, I slid my hands underneath her shirt. She leaned back, letting me take it completely off.

"I'm losing control," she moaned.

"I already lost it," I said, which was definitely true. I lost control to her the minute our lips first touched.

She grinded against me, tempting me to do more than I should. Gods, I wanna fuck her so badly. And she's even asking for it. That stupid bet hanging over my head is the only thing preventing me from going any farther. I wanna make love to Annabeth, not fuck her here in Central Park.

I pulled away from her, the only thing smart thing I've done so far.

"I can't take you like this. Not here, not now," I admitted, my voice filled with desire and lust.

She grabbed her shirt and quickly put it back on. Then, she surprises me by pulling me into one last kiss. Afterwards, she hugged me and laid her head on my shoulder.

"I love you," she whispered into my ear.

_No, you can't fall in love with me! _I wanted to say. Instead, I just hugged her back and kissed the top of her head.

Damn it, the Fates are really screwin' me up. When I first made the bet, I had no feelings at all for Annabeth. Hades, I don't wanna think about feelings 'cause I hate having them so much. I've tried my hardest to love only my family. But this girl, the one I least expected to fall for, is proving me wrong. And she's making it harder for me to choose.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it :) review to make this week better!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys lots of apologies for the delay. I know it's been months since I last updated but finally you get the next chapter! thanks to those who reviewed: mimigem634, Anonymous even though ik who u are, Athena, SeaOfWisdom18, sportschic5646 , OOOOOWWWW, GreekMythologyFreak98, BabyYou'reAllThatIWant, Basketball661, JRRVS, XxXEnvyxXx, BlackConverse24, , ISolemnlySwear-MischiefManaged, Damon-salvatore-lover15, blacksgirl97, Love, Neptune-Minerva, DeadlyViperAssn, Thalico-freak-99-Hecatejewel, PJOisthebomdiggidy, MushuThePowerful, JayJay-Lynn, toogoode99, Syrena Aria, Percy's sweetheart, Nickicece, reViewer, Lostinmylalaland, klydo, buzzlessbee, xxbrowneyesxx, BlueCottonCandy839, C-Nuggets N.L, Pi is314, AND FINALLY MY AWESOME "BETA" DaughterOfPoseidonxD. if i didnt mention you, sorry but damnnnnn thats alot of reviewers. thanks for all your support guys! and shout-out to Cassie's Neighbor for sending me as much support as one reviewer could give :)**

**Newsflash: I'm currently participating in The Prompts thanks to Cassie's Neighbor's suggestion. I haven't posted the one-shot I'm submitting but i hopefully will today.**

**Poll results: Rules of Attraction- 22 Friends or Love-16 Heroes of Olympus-6 aw poor Heroes oh well thatll have to go to my fictionpress account :)**

**alright ill shut up now so you can read the chapter. if you thought 18 was awesome then i hope youll think chapter 19 is awesomer :D**

**WARNING: WILL CONTAIN SCENES NOT SUITABLE FOR THOSE WHO ARE PURE-MINDED AND/OR NOT COMFORTABLE WITH READING EXTREMELY FLUFFY SCENES**

* * *

_Annabeth  
_

No matter how hard I tried yesterday, I haven't managed to convince Percy to quit the drug deal. Remembering Katie's advice, my last resolution is this: I'm going to seduce Percy Jackson.

Earlier, I called him on his cell phone, making sure he was home alone. Now, I'm standing outside his apartment door, trying to keep myself warm in the little amount of clothing I'm wearing. I know it isn't so smart to go out in a simple miniskirt that I borrowed from Katie, sandals, and a jean jacket in this chilly October weather, but it's all necessary.

The door opened, but it isn't Percy who opens the door. It's a little boy, no more than twelve years old with ruffled blonde hair and sky blue eyes. Those eyes look familiar somehow...

"Who're you?" he asks, innocence in his voice.

"I'm Annabeth. Is Percy here?" I ask.

Just after I spoke, Percy looks behind the boy to look at me. Although he's trying to maintain a calm expression, his eyes shine a brighter green and an open desire is inflaming in them. I blush nervously, suddenly feeling so exposed. I rarely wear this little clothing and being near him is enough to make me nervous.

"I'm here," he manages to say; trying to take his eyes off from my legs and bring them up to look into my eyes.

"Can I talk to you? Alone?" I ask, emphasizing 'alone'. He nods.

"Jason, get Nico for me. I probably won't come home for a while," he explained to the little blonde boy.

Jason comes back with another boy about fourteen with shaggy black hair, black eyes, and a gloomy expression.

"What?" he demanded from Percy, annoyance dripping from his words.

"I'm gonna be gone and won't come home 'till like late in the night or early morning," Percy informed, ignoring Nico's rude attitude. "Just look after Jason 'till Mom comes home."

Nico takes a glance at me and death was written all over his eyes. Normally, I held someone's gaze, but this boy's glare is so intense and different that I look away.

"Just get home as soon as possible," he muttered, pulling Jason back into the apartment.

Percy walked me out and a cold wind blows past us. I shiver a little and he wraps his warm arms tightly around me. I bury my face into his neck, breathing in his familiar ocean scent.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" he asked, weaving his hands through my hair.

"Oh, I need to talk to you somewhere else. Somewhere where we can be alone for a while," I simply say, brushing my hand down his arm. He shivers under my touch and I smile.

"I'm still gonna do that deal," he managed to say.

"I know," I admitted, pouting a little to show my disapproval. "But we can stay somewhere close by."

A small silence followed, showing that he's thinking about it. To me, it isn't enough. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Please?" I begged, kissing his neck gently. He shuddered and sighed, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Fine, I know a place where we can go," he said, leading me to Blackjack.

Even though he blindfolded me, I can still smell a hint of salt water and hear the cries of seagulls. I already have a guess on where we are going so I don't know the point of the blindfold. The car stops and I hear him sigh next to me.

"I'm going to take the blindfold off now," I heard him say and soon enough, I feel the cloth slipping away.

"Wow," I sighed, gazing across the glimmering ocean and the rosy sunset. I haven't been to beach in over a year and I've forgotten how beautiful it is. It wasn't completely deserted; a small cabin stood not too far away. It wasn't too fancy, but it wasn't too shabby either.

"We're going over there," he sayed casually.

"Do you even know who owns it?" I ask.

"Yeah, I do. Well, it's really my mom's but I come here a lot," he explains.

We both get out of the car and start walking towards the cabin. He pulled out a key and unlocks the door. Even though it's late October, it was warm enough and there was only one bedroom, a living room, and a kitchen.

"This beach is where my mom met my dad," he mentioned quietly.

Some part of me compelled me to comfort him and so I did. I place a hand on his shoulder and meet his eyes sympathetically. One minute he's smiling at me. The next he's kissing me. As our tongues clashed and fought for dominance, he carried me bridal style and laid me down on a soft bed. Before he could go any further, I pushed him lightly and took my lips off his.

"Wait," I said, taking a deep breath. "I want to go slow."

"I will," Percy assured me, his eyes showing care and gentleness. "You know, you don't have to do this."

"But I want to," I said. "I just want to ask you some things."

"That's not fair," he pouted. "If you know so much about me, then I want to know more about you."

"Alright, go ahead and ask."

"Ladies first."

"Fine. Do you want to go to college?"

"Yes and I would if my life were different. Why did you wanna talk to me alone?"

"So I can show you how much I care about you. Did you ever do it with Rachel?"

* * *

Percy

"Yeah we did. Before Rachel, I can't remember much. I dated a lot of girls and had sex with most of them. Did you ever have sex with Luke?"

"No. Did you always use protection?"

"Yes."

"Who was your first time with?"

"Calypso. Okay, I've told you everything."

"Not yet. Since you slept with so many girls, how do I know you didn't catch a disease?"

"Last time I went to the doctor, he tested me. I'm clean. Do you ever think about makin' love to me?"

"Yes. Do you?"

"Hell yes."

"Where do you want to go to college?"

"Well, if I could, Hunter College."

"Oh. So now…should we?" she asked hesitantly.

"If you really want to," I answered, slowly stroking her hair. "I'm not gonna force you to do anythin' against your will."

With that statement, she pulled me on top of her on the bed and pressed her lips on to mine. It was a fiery, passionate kiss. Her tongue met mine and I deepened the kiss. I helped her take off her jean jacket, and then I realized that she had no shirt on. She must've been really cold outside.

She hurriedly slipped off her miniskirt and was left in nothing but her bra and panties. Before I could help her take them off, she clawed at my shirt, unbuttoning it. In seconds, I was shirtless. She ran her soft hands against my hard abs, and soon, she was the one on top of me. She unzipped and removed my jeans and was about to take off my boxers, but then she stopped abruptly and got off ofme.

"Wait," she took out her purse and pulled out at least a dozen condoms.

"That's a lot of condoms," I point out blankly. "Do you wanna pull an all-nighter?"

I didn't wink at her or flirt with her like I usually did before. I know that even though she sounded confident about doing this, she was still a little scared inside. If I had known that she wanted to do it tonight, I would've been more prepared.

"I just grabbed what I could," she said, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink.

I picked her up by the waist so she was again lying on top of me. I stroke her cheek and she shudders slightly. Curse Ares for making me leave her soon. If it weren't for the deal, I could really make love to her and show her how good it feels. I wanted so badly to stay with her all night.

"You know, you don't have to do this," I remind her.

"I know, but I want you to know how much I care about you," she said, leaning her head on my shoulder.

In an instant, I was on top of her. I started kissing her intimately, moving down to her neck. My lips brushed against her soft, tan skin as I slowly removed her panties.

"You know I care about you too," I said, grabbing a condom.

"I know," she whispers and nuzzled her head on my shoulder. "Just do it."

So I did. I tried to go as slowly as I could, but when I heard her cry out in pain, I knew it wasn't enough. I wanted so badly to take the pain away instead of causing it. I knew that deep in my heart, I cared about her a lot more than I should.

When it was over, I pulled her close and whispered to her how sorry I am. She quietly said that it was okay.

"_Skatá _(crap) I really gotta go," I said, pulling myself up.

"Now will you quit the drug deal?" she asked, grabbing her clothes.

"No."

"But we made love."

"This doesn't make a difference," I said, trying to ignore how harsh my words sounded.

"Am I just another girl you just fucked?" she asked, her voice suddenly quivering. She sniffed and cleared her throat. "Do I mean nothing to you?"

"No, you mean a lot more than that."

"Prove it. I gave you everything; why can't you do the same?"

"I just can't," I said, suddenly so frustrated with myself. Why couldn't things be any easier? Why did I have to fall for her out of everyone else?

Before she could protest, my phone rang in my pocket.

"Hello? Connor?"

"Ares made me call you. He wanted to remind you that you outta be on your way."

"I know, I know."

"Percy, is something wrong?" Annabeth asked.

"Hey, _min mou peíte óti échete ídi kerdísei to stoíchima_ (don't tell me you already won the bet)?" Connor said over the phone.

"_Skáse kai na tou po óti eímai sto drómo mou_ (Shut up and just tell him I'm on the way)."

I hung up and turned to Annabeth. She already put her clothes back on and was sitting awkwardly on the bed.

"Is anything wrong?" she asked.

_Yeah, a lot of things._

"No, I just really need to get goin'. I'll take you home," I said instead as I took her hand. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she insisted, letting me lead her to Blackjack.

The drive back was quiet and awkward. She made no protests even though I told her before that I'm still doing the drug deal. When we arrived at her building, she lingered for a while when she got out of the car.

"Don't be mad at Grover," she said, walking quickly to her building before I could ask her what she meant.

As I drive back home, I kept thinking about what she said. I knew that Grover didn't want me to do the deal either, but he hasn't made any signs of stopping me. He's loyal enough to try to stop me, but he's too timid to actually do anything about it…

In person. Of course. All this time, Annabeth wasn't only trying to stop me; she was also trying to distract me. No wonder she told me not to be mad at Grover. And it worked. I drove even faster, trying to get home as quick as possible.

Now that I think about it more, he was right. Annabeth is the only person that could stop me. Because tonight just made me realize how important she is to me, how much I care about her. Tonight made me realize that I love her and I would do anything for her as long as she's safe.

As soon as I got to my apartment, I quickly headed to my room. I searched my drawer and the secret compartment, the one Grover taught me to make. My gun is gone. I cursed under my breath.

"Nico, has anyone been in our room?" I asked him when he enters the room.

"Yeah, Grover was here, said he left something with you," he answered.

Crap, he already left. To make it worse, I heard the door open which meant that Mom is home. I ran out the room and ran towards her.

"Mom, you've gotta get outta here. You need to take Nico, Jason, and our stuff and head to JFK airport now," I told her urgently.

"Why, Percy? What have you gotten yourself into?" she asked, fear in her eyes.

"Trouble. Lots of it. Don't worry about me, I'll follow you as soon as I can. But you gotta leave now," I said, grabbing her arm. She pulled away slowly, but not until I see a purple mark.

"Mom, let me see your arm," I told her.

She reluctantly held out her arm to me and I lift up her sleeve. My eyes widened as I see lots of bruises and marks.

"Mom, who did this to you?" I asked, even though I already had a guess.

"I-I can't tell you. If he finds out he'll be so mad," she says, her voice trembling and her eyes watering.

Everything's finally starting to piece together. My memory is no longer hazy and I can remember that night, the night my father was murdered. Ironically, it's the same guy that carried me when I was crying over my dad's dead body. It makes sense now, why he kept asking about my mother. He was watching us all along.

"Mom. Is the guy who's been hurting you the same guy who murdered Dad?" I asked. She nodded.

"Tell me, Mom. I promise I'll do whatever it takes to protect you," I swore.

"Your father said the same thing the night he died," she said, taking a deep breath. "It's Ares."

* * *

**hope it was worth the wait :) ill try my hardest not to keep you guys waiting again but i do promise that the next chapter will be awesome or maybe even awesomer. keep reviewing!**


	18. Chapter 18

**I'm surprised I didn't take long to update as I did before. Sorry again! But thanks to 9978, Totally me098, William567, PiperElizabethMcLean, iloveme99, XxXEnvyxXx, Regina de Morte a.k.a. Mezza, The Innocent Little Human, Thalico-freak-99-Hecatejewel, candy0304, Cassie's Neighbor, Jalex14, C-Nuggets N.L, Forever Changing Names, Neptune-Minerva, filipino boy 4000, BlackConverse24, Riley Coyote, Lostinmylalaland, JayJay-Lynn, DaughterOfPoseidonxD, Agent 143, 15Demigod15, Miss Smiley, ffsah1, crazytween, EPICThunder, percy, Percabethfan13, and Willis aka Anon for reviewing.**

**I am so sad that the ending is coming up soon. There's two more chapters I think plus an epilogue. But another part of me is like "YES FINALLY!" only because I can't wait to start a new story. Which reminds me of the poll!**

**Poll Results: Rules Of Attraction: 23 Friends or Love: 16 Heroes of Olympus: 7**

**I'll be closing the poll when this story is complete. Looks like Rules Of Attraction is coming up :)** **get ready for some Thalico!**

**Oh also check out my story Falling for the Wrong on fictionpress. Link to my fictionpress account is on my profile.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my twists and turns and words.**

* * *

**Percy**

I knew there was something fishy about Ares.

"I'm goin' after him," I told my mom. "Just take Nico, Jason, and whatever belongings you can. I'll catch up with you guys.

"Percy, don't," she said, quickly grabbing my hand. "Normally, I wouldn't worry about you so much, but... I don't want you to end up like your father."

I looked back to my mom. Her eyes were watering, but to prevent her from getting hurt again, I'll have to deal with Ares.

"Sorry, Mom, but this is somethin' I have to do," I said, hugging her tightly. I felt her pat my back.

"I understand," she whispered, her voice quivering.

When I leave the building, I hop on Blackjack and drive straight to the place that the drug deal was supposed to take place. As I drive, it begins to rain heavily. Surprisingly, I find myself calling Malcolm who gave me his number one time when I was walking by him in the hallway. He tells me that I should call the police and I follow his advice.

I drive near an abandoned warehouse and park Blackjack beside it. The deal was supposed to take place behind it. As I walk nearer, a river of blood slides towards me. Shit, shit, shit, I'm too late.

I go from walking to running when I see a body lying on the floor, a pool of blood around him like a bloody red lake. One hand is under his back and I slowly lift his back to see my gun. The other hand is on the wound where all the blood is coming from and I'm guessing it's a bullet wound.

"Damn it, Grover," I whispered. "You're such an idiot."

Miraculously, his chest was moving up and down which meant that he was still breathing. His eyes were closed, but he manages to make out a few words.

"Tell Juniper I... cared about her."

Tears began to fall out of my eyes. I'm thankful for the rain so that no one call tell that I'm crying.

"Aw, how touching," a familiar voice said behind me and I hear a small click of a gun being loaded.

"Ares," I said, my grief turning quickly into fear like gasoline set on fire. I see his outline, tall, bulky, a loaded gun in his hand. I raise my own.

"I never noticed that you and Grover are the same height," Ares said casually. "It's hard to tell the difference from afar, especially when it's dark and rainy."

"So you were trying to kill me? After all that I did for the damn gang?" I yelled at him.

"You're just like your father!" he yelled back. "He did countless things for the Half-Bloods, but I knew he wanted out. That night, I gave him a choice. Erase any thoughts of leaving the Half-Bloods or die."

"Bullshit," I said, the memories of that night becoming clearer. My dad's face was shocked when the gun was to his face. There was no talking. Just the sound of a gun shooting straight to his heart. "You just killed him in front of my eyes."

"Well, Perseus," he said, saying my name with a sneer. "You'll be lucky that I'm giving you a choice. Keep working for the Half-Bloods like this night never happened or die where you stand."

"I'd rather go to Hades than stay working for a cold-blooded killer like you," I said, finalizing my answer.

"Your choice" were the last words he says before he shoots. Somehow, my ADHD makes me pull out Riptide and deflects the bullet. I shoot for his hand and when a cry and a clatter, I know that I hit my target. Before he could pick up his gun, I run to him and charge with Riptide. Cursing, he draws him own knife which is a good three inches longer than mine. I start pushing him away from his gun, trying to stall as much time as I can.

We keep stabbing and blocking each other's knives. We're both fast and quick, but Ares is slightly slower but has more force while I'm faster but not as forceful. He manages to slice my arm, but I sliced his chest and shoulder. Both of our wounds aren't much, but we're both getting tired. It'll only be about time before someone screw up.  
Just in time, police sirens wail. Two police cars are approaching us. While Ares is distracted, I disarm him. Exhausted, I walk away and let the police handle him. Ι should've known the police can't handle everything.

I turned around and in barely less than a second, Ares reached down, held up the gun and shot straight at me. I felt a burning pain somewhere in my body and the world turned black.

* * *

_Annabeth_

When I arrived at Katie's apartment, it felt as if she kidnapped me. In reality, she dragged me out of the door when I set foot inside and got Travis to drive while she pinned me down. She managed to duct-tape my mouth shut so I couldn't ask her what the heck she was doing. I kept fighting and fighting until the car stopped and Travis carried me inside a building. My building. Once inside the elevator, Katie slowly removed the duct tape and I finally talked, or screamed.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF HADES WAS THAT FOR?"

"I'm sorry, Annabeth, but I think it's time you went home," she said apologetically. "Your parents called and they were worried about you so they want to make amends."

"I doubt it. I bet they're not even going to listen to me. They're probably going to just continue trying to run my life," I answered doggedly. If it weren't for the steel doors of the elevator, I'd punch my way out of here.

"Annabeth, just hear them out. I think they sounded genuinely sorry when they called," she tried to persuade. I thought about it for a minute.

"Fine. Only because we're already hear," I muttered as Katie smiled. I turned to Travis. "So how did she get you into this?"

"She has her ways," he replied, winking at Katie. I rolled my eyes.

When the doors finally opened, they pushed me towards my apartment. They stayed behind me just in case I'd try to run away. When I opened the door, my parents were inside the living room. My mom's eyes were red and puffy while my dad looked like he didn't sleep for a week even though I was gone for a couple of days.

"Oh, Annabeth, we're so glad you came home," my dad said, pulling me into a hug. I patted his back; I wasn't used to this sort of attention. Once he let go, I was very surprised that my mother hugged me as well.

"Annabeth, I'm so sorry I made you feel this way," she apologized and this time, I hugged her back. All I ever wanted was to make her feel proud of me. "I thought this was all for your own good."

"I'm sorry too, I should've just told you what I've been thinking," I admitted.

Once we finished hugging and crying (yes, I did tear up a little), we all sat down.

"So, what will it take for you to stay with us?" Dad asked.

"I want a bit more freedom. I want to be able to make some of my own decisions."

"That can be arranged."

I thought for a while before I spoke again. "I want Bobby and Matthew back."

"Now, Annabeth," Mom said gently. "We all know how attached you are to the twins, but I can assure you that they're perfectly happy at the children organization I placed them in."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I called them this morning," Dad said. "I even talked to them and asked them how are they doing. They said they're both fine."

I still wasn't entirely convinced.

"Then, can I visit them when I can?"

Mom hesitated for a few minutes before she made up her mind. "Alright. But promise me you'll tell us when you want to visit them."

I bet my grin reached from ear to ear because when I went up to hug her again, she smiled.

"I promise."

My cell phone rang, interrupting this bittersweet moment. It turned out to be Juniper calling.

"Hello? Juniper?"

"Annabeth, is that you? _O theoí tha prépei na érthei sto nosokomeío aftí ti stigmí _(Oh gods you need to come to the hospital right now)."

"What? Why?"

"Grover. And Percy. They're both here and they've both been shot."

* * *

**IMPORTANT NOTE: DON'T KILL ME! IM NOT KILLING PERCY! But I just can't cant't decide if Grover should die or not. Soooo I'm being nice and letting YOU THE READERS DECIDE! There's going to poll on my profile and you can choose if Grover dies or not.**

**Now review :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks to all who reviewed: SeaweedbrainxWisegirl, iloveme99, AlexJackson622, BlackPanther101, Moonaura XxX Alex Black, Jalex14, BabyYou'reAllThatIWant, DaughterOfPoseidonxD, candy0304, ihatemakingupusernames, xxShafferxx, Cassie's Neighbor, Angel's Detective, Bob Hammilton, katiekat, PiperElizabethMcLean, Lostinmylalaland, JayJay-Lynn, Thalico-freak-99-Hecatejewel, ButterflyFlyToMe, XxXEnvyxXx, ladyrima112, blackmoonlace, C-Nuggets N.L, Awesomness, lelogan, LizziDaughterOfHades, The innocent little human, Forever Changing Names, Eire14071999, Neptune-Minerva, and BlackConverse24.**

**soo i accidentally deleted my poll for the next story without checking the results. but im pretty sure that Rules of Attraction won so i guess you guys will be getting a thalico fanfic from me next :)**

**a majority of you guys said dont kill grover but you didnt vote! so i guess im gonna have to kill him :) lol jk im not that mean. ik that the poll didnt show up on my profile n thats my fault. but lets see if i was ncie or not and if i let grover live or not. now read!****  
**

* * *

_Annabeth_

I all but burst through the hospital doors the instant my dad's car stopped in front of the hospital. I ran straight to the front desk, panting from short of breath.

"Is Grover Underwood?" I asked.

"He's over there," The nurse said apathetically, pointing to a room on the left without giving me a glance.

I quickly ran to the door and burst inside the room. Inside, a sobbing Juniper was sitting next to Grover, her back to me. It seemed as if she didn't hear me at all, as if nothing had happened. Walking a little closer, I noticed that Grover's eyes were closed, his face passive and calm. His shirt was gone, replaced with bandages wrapped around his chest. There were bruises scattered all over his arms; some were faded, but there were several dark purple ones as well. A large red dot was on his chest, right over where his heart is. If it weren't for the heart monitor beeping faintly, I would've assumed that he was already dead.

I tentatively placed my hand on Juniper's shoulder, the sudden touch reeling her back into the world and causing her to turn around.

"Is he going to make it?" I asked carefully.

"I don't know," she answered sadly, wiping away her tears, her usually bright green eyes rimmed with red. "He's been unconscious ever since I got here. The doctors told me that Percy found him and got him here in time for them to stop the bleeding, but he still lost a lot of blood. His uncles are refusing to come down here to give some blood and they're having trouble finding a match."

"What's his blood type?"

"AB-."

"Wait me too!" I exclaimed and Juniper's eyes lit up with hope.

That's when the monitor stopped beeping. I could've sworn that my heart skipped a beat.

Immediately, a doctor rushed inside with nurses pushing us out of the room. We sat on some chairs by the room and Juniper began to cry again. I winced every time the doctor yelled "Clear!" Juniper kept sobbing even more than before.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the doctor stepped out of the room.

"He's alive," he announced, but he held up a hand just as we were about to sigh in relief. "But, we can't ignore the fact that he lost a significant amount of blood and we are still struggling to find someone with a match and is willing to donate some blood. I'm sorry to say that unless we can find a math within the hour, Mr. Underwood won't be able to make it the next tine his heart fails."

I glanced at Juniper who was already looking at me, pleading me with her eyes. I bit my lip nervously; I've never donated blood before and I was a little nervous on the effects afterwards. However, I do owe Grover for the following reasons:

1. I was the one who agreed to go with his plan. The only reason I agreed to it was that I was only thinking about Percy's well-being and I completely ignored all the things that could've gone wrong. If I had said no, Grover wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

2. Grover is Percy's best friend. I don't want Percy to lose him especially if it's because I allowed him to go with the plan and refused to donate any of my blood. I bet that if Katie were in need of blood and he was a match, Percy would donate some of his blood, knowing that it was for the sake of my friend.

3. Juniper is also a good friend of mine. Seeing her so distressed and worried is unbearable. I can only imagine what she's going through. She must love him a lot to be showing this much emotion. She'd probably be wounded for life if Grover died right now without having a proper date with her. I know that if Percy died, I'd never be the same again.

I cleared my throat before I spoke up. "Well, I think I might be able to help."

* * *

**Percy**

When I first opened my eyes, my sight was blurry. Wherever I was, it was so bright that it practically burned my eyes.

"Finally you wake up. Thought my blood went to waste," a familiar voice interrupted my thoughts. I moved my head towards the sound and as the blurriness cleared up, I could make out a familiar figure.

"Juniper?" I said groggily. She smiled at me.

"Rise and shine, Jackson."

"I doubt I can. I bet I look like shit."

She shrugged. "There's been worse."

Before I could speak again, she spoke up. "Grover's fine and he's going to live. Don't worry about him."

I sighed in relief. "Thank the gods."

"Yeah, thank the gods for giving Annabeth Chase a heart. If she didn't donate her blood, he might have ended up with Hades."

"Whoa wait. Annabeth's here?"

"Don't get too excited, Loverboy. She's still recovering from her donation so she's still a little dizzy. Plus, you still need to recover."

"Yes, Mom. Speaking of moms, where's mine?"

"Don't worry about her or your brothers. They took the first plane that was leaving. They're on their way to Los Angeles."

I nodded solemnly, still thinking about Grover and my stupidity. If only I had changed my mind about the drug deal sooner, then he might not have made up that plan and ended up here in the hospital.

The reason I joined the Half-Bloods was to protect my family and make sure no one that I care about gets hurt. Their motto is "_Eísai mazí mas, í enantíon mas_". You're either with us or against us. I thought that if I just joined, they'd leave me and my family alone and no one would get hurt. But I've ended up hurting more people.

"Oh," Juniper spoke up, interrupting my thoughts. "By the way, once you and Grover get better, I suggest that you get both of your asses out of New York and head straight on a plane to L.A. ASAP."

"Why..?"

"'Cause the Half-Bloods are obviously planning on beating the crap out of the both of you for getting Ares killed. It won't matter to them that Ares killed your dad. Both of you obviously want to get out of the gang and we all know it's definitely not easy to get out. It makes the initiation look as easy as pre-school."

She got up from her chair and headed towards the door. Just as she was about to step out, she turned around to look back at me.

"Take care, Seaweed Brain," she said, giving me a small smile. "And try not to get in too much trouble for once."

"No promises," I said, smiling back at her.

She left the room, leaving me alone to my thoughts. I know I definitely can't stay in the gang after hearing that their leader killed my father in cold blood and lied to my face all these years. Getting out of the gang is gonna be as tough as the dead getting out of the Underworld. If I'm going to leave New York, I'm gonna have to drop out of Goode. But I still want to have a shot at college.

Also, I suck at saying goodbye. I'll have to leave Connor, Beckendorf, and all my other friends without saying anything. Even if they're best friends, I have to think about their loyalty to the gang. Maybe I'll thank Malcolm before I go and say goodbye to Mr. Brunner.

But I'm mostly worried about Annabeth. After spending so much time with her, I've realized that she's definitely not like the other spoiled rich Upper girls at Goode. Her life is the exact opposite and so much has already happened to her. I don't want to be added to her "People That Betrayed Me" list. But as much as I don't want to hurt her, I'm afraid that I'll have to give her the most painful goodbye.

* * *

The next morning, a nurse informed me that I have Annabeth as a visitor. I told her confidently to let her in, but once she left, my throat began to feel dry and my palms were sweating. When Annabeth walked in, my heart began to race, the way it always did when I see her. She gave me a small smile and took a seat next to me.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey."

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. You?"

"Fine."

An awkward silence followed for a few minutes. I guess we both didn't know what else to say. It'd be bad timing to ask "So, am I good at sex?" and I'm not gonna start a stupid conversation on the weather just for the sake of talking.

"Grover's fine too," she informed me.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he's still a little pale, but at least he's breathing."

I nodded slowly in agreement.

"It's my fault," she said quietly.

"What? No, if it's anyone's fault, it's mine," I told her. "I was the one who decided to do the stupid drug deal."

"I should've known that it was a stupid idea," she insisted. "I wasn't even thinking about his safety. I was only thinking about yours."

"I think we can all agree that I'm a bad luck charm for everyone. I started all of this so it's completely my fault. If I just listened to both of you, both of you wouldn't be worried about me. Admit it, ever since I walked into your life, I've caused nothing but trouble."

She looked away from my eyes so I couldn't see hers. But just from the expression on her face, I could tell that she was thinking about something. Finally, after a few minutes of silence, she looked at me, her mesmerizing grey eyes piercing into my own eyes.

"I need to tell you something," she said.

"So do I," I replied, swallowing nervously as I thought over how I was going to say this.

"You go first," she insisted. I shrugged, trying to keep up my "cool" façade. It didn't matter to me that we've grown close over the past weeks and that she's already seen through my act. A bond had grown between the two of us and I intend to severe it.

"The only reason I spent time with you was so that I could get you to have sex with me," I told her, watching her grey eyes widen in disbelief. "I made a bet with Connor that if I can have sex with you before Thanksgiving break, I get to keep his car. If I lost, I'd have to give up Blackjack. All the things I've said, all that I've done, it was all to win."

We just sat there in silence, looking into each other's eyes. I know she was trying to see if I was lying and I tried my best to make it look like I wasn't. She can't know that I ever had feelings for her what so ever. She's the one thing tying me down, the only one that I don't want to leave behind.

Her confused expression turned into disbelief and anger. She got up suddenly and I assumed that she would slap me then and there. Instead, she got out of her seat and headed straight to the door. She didn't turn around, but she stopped.

"And to think I was going to tell you that I love you."

After saying that, she walked out of the door, walked out of my life maybe for good.

* * *

**hehe i bet you guys had mini heart attacks when i wrote that his heart stopped beating. DON'T KILL ME! i let Grover live so be grateful for that. but Perfect Chemistry IS NOT OVER! I have 1 more chapter plus an epilogue.**

**reviews make my day! :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thanks a bunch to those who reviewed: percabethfan555, How-to-smile-101, wassop, Taitk, PiperElizabethMcLean, unclaimed12too lazy to log in, Lostinmylalaland, C-Nuggets N.L, candy0304, arissaprincess321, mimigem634, BlueCottonCandy839, XxXEnvyxXx, The innocent little human, DemigodLove, ihatemakingupusernames, chessrd, LizziDaughterOfHades, Thalico-freak-99-Hecatejewel, William567, JRRVS, lennygoat, o0oVioletx64, and BlackConverse24.**

**Idk why some of you thought the last chapter was the end because I LOVE PERCABETH! ik im being very mean to them right now but i seriously think theyre the cutest couple of all time. and i remember one reviewed and asked if this could be a book. well this already is one... it is called Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles and it is one of the best romance books in my opinion. so if you want go read it. its awesome. its a series too and theres 3 books in total. i read Chain Reaction already and i LOVED it. oh yeaa so who got the son of neptune? my boyfriend bought me the book the day it come out :) i was so upset at the end cause percy didnt see annabeth D: but it was soo sweet that he only remembered her :D anywayyyy, have you guys noticed that they never said i love you to each other in this story (i think)? wellll in this chapter, they admit it to themselves, just not each other**

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**Percy**

I hate planes. I hate them so much. I hate that headache you get when the plan is flying up. I hate sleeping even though it looks like it is early morning outside. I don't even really know what day is it today? December 30th? Or is it January yet? I hate the crappy food that those stewardesses serve. I also hate the cramped bathrooms. I feel like suffocating.

To make my ride even better, Grover wouldn't stop bothering me. He kept poking me every time I'm about to fall asleep.

'Hey, hey, hey, hey," he said, adding a poke every time he says "hey".

"WHAT?"

"I'm bored.."

If it weren't for the flight attendant already looking at me cautiously, I would've strangled him right there and then.

"Please leave me alone," I said, shutting my eyes and trying to ignore that buzzing headache that's been killing me for the past four hours. "_Aplá skatá óti i aerosynodós pou koitázei epímona se mas_ (Just fuck that stewardess that's staring at us.)"

"Uh, I think she's checking you out," he said, poking me again when he said "you". "Besides, I already have Juniper waiting for me back home."

"What? You're seriously not gonna cheat on her? You're actually gonna stay committed to one person for once?" I asked, genuinely surprised. Grover's practically allergic to the word "committment".

"Yeah, I really care about her. Next to you, she's my best friend," he said seriously. Then, his mouth turned into a mischievous grin. "But last I checked you're single. Why don't you go after her, take your mind off of the plane ride and maybe a certain blonde?"

I began drumming my fingers on my chair and kept glancing around the plane to keep myself distracted. I really just wanted to curse him out in Greek and tell him to leave me alone, but the look on his face told me that if I back out of this challenge, he'll probably make me apologize to Annabeth. He also knows that I can never resist a challenge. I rarely learn from my mistakes.

Silently, I got up from my chair and walked towards the flight attendant. As I slide past her, I slipped a note down the pocket of her apron. It said, "Got a room where we can be alone?" I headed to the bathroom and just stood there for a good three minutes. Ever since I told Annabeth about the bet, I never saw her again. Even when I never asked, Juniper still told me how she was doing. She told me about how there were bags under her eyes and she was almost completely shunned from the kids at school. Only Katie, Travis, Malcolm, and Silena stayed with her. Luke began going from girl to girl, but Annabeth looked as if she didn't care.

A few weeks after the shooting incident, Mr. Brunner came to visit me. He asked me if I wanted to continue my high school education. I told him that I wasn't sure, that I have to leave the state as soon as Grover and I feel better. He said that he understood, but he still asked if I wanted to graduate high school. I admitted that I did, but I didn't want to bother transferring to another high school. We ended up talking more and he helped me earn my high school diploma as long as I was willing to work hard. He helped me buy tickets to L.A and told me to look for his friend, Zeus Grace. He said that he'll help me find some professor that'll be willing to help me get my high school diploma for a reasonable price.

When I left the bathroom, the stewardess brushed past me, sliding a note into my hand. I read it and it said, "Meet me in the back galley in fifteen minutes. I know a place ;)."

Instead of smiling to myself as I'd usually do, I slip the note in my pocket and walk back to Grover.

"So?"

"What?"

"Did you go for it?"

"Does it matter?"

"So you did?"

"Yeah..."

In fifteen minutes, I'm holding hands with the brown-haired, green-eyed stewardess named Darlene. My pulse is racing a little, but not from lust. Instead, I feel hesitant to follow her. She leads me further inside until we approach a door. It's only a closet, but it'll have to do.

Once we're inside. I find myself kissing her and feeling up her body. She feels soft and curvy, but I didn't have the urge to go further. She moves my hands down the edge of her skirt, but I pull away.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Um, plane sickness," I lied.

The truth is that this didn't feel right. Some part of me knows that I should be doing this to one person and only that person. Suddenly, I realized that I miss her blonde hair, her beautiful grey eyes, her sweet voice, her melodious laugh, her soft lips. I miss Annabeth.

I walk out of the closet and head straight to my seat. When Grover tries talking to me, I ignore him, no matter what he does. I end up thinking more and more about Annabeth. This might sound really cliché and stupid, but I miss her so much that my heart is starting to ache. It took me this long to realize that I love her and telling her that our relationship was a lie was the biggest mistake I ever made.

_Annabeth_

It's May 1st. It's been exactly five months since Percy and Grover left New York. I can't help but stay up at night, wondering if he's okay, if he still thinks about me or if he already forgot about me. I slightly envy Juniper because she's still dating Grover. Even if it's a long-distance relationship, at least she still gets to talk to him. I wish I could call Percy, just to hear his voice again.

When I opened my locker this morning, there were two things inside that weren't mine. One was a bandana, the exact same green and black Half-Blood bandana that Percy used to wear. Another was a copy of the Iliad. I opened the cover and a note written in his handwriting was scribbled in blue ink on the inside cover, but it was written in Latin. If it was in Greek, I could've read it easily, but I have trouble Latin. He left me with even more questions than answers. Looks like I'm going to be having insomnia for the rest of the month.

I didn't realize that I was crying until I felt something salty against my lips. I wiped my cheek and found that it was wet and damp. I felt my throat tighten and eventually, more tears started to fall and I began to sob quietly. Why do I feel this way? Why do I still think about him even though he left me here telling me that all of our memories were a lie?

When I felt a hand on my shoulder, I quickly wiped away the tears and tried to stop hiccupping. I turned to see Katie giving me a sad, sympathetic look.

"I know you miss him. You don't need to hide it from me."

"I know, but everyone else won't understand."

"Then, ignore them. Everybody else is a bunch of cold-hearted bastards that don't know what it feels like to fall in love."

I gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

"You shouldn't encourage her, Katie. She should learn that she needs to get over that bastard," a too familiar voice spoke behind us. I sighed and turned to face those blue eyes.

"Luke, leave me alone," I said bitterly.

"Get over him, Annabeth," he said, completely ignoring what I just said. " You're too smart to be acting like this. You should know better than to keep hanging on to someone who just left you as if you were a piece of garbage."

"Why? So I can go out with you again? The only bastard that I know is you," I spat at him.

"Just leave her alone," Katie backed me up. "She never did anything to you."

"I'm just saying that she made a big mistake in picking Jackson over me. Besides, I'm over you, Annabeth. I found someone else."

"Oh yeah? Who would be stupid enough to go out with you?"

"Silena."

"Yeah right," I snorted. "Why would she go for a whore like you?"

Just as I finished talking, the clicking sound of heels grabbed our attention. As the sounds got louder, a figure turned a corner and Silena started walking towards us. Luke's lips curled into a smirk.

"Don't believe me? Watch," he said, grabbing Silena by her waist and pulling her into a kiss. My eyebrows raised up. What's he expecting from this? Does he think that I give a shit? Katie rolled her eyes and looked at me with a "You've got to be kidding me" look.

To our surprise, instead of kissing him back passionately, she pulled away and slapped his face so hard that the sound echoed throughout the hallway.

"Ow! What the fuck was that for?" he yelled, caressing his red cheek.

"You man-whore!" she yelled. "Only bastards like you grab girls and kiss them as if they're dating. Don't ever touch me again!"

She walked up to me and shook her head. "I honestly can't believe I thought you and him were a cute couple. Percy was so much better for you"

"You can't be serious," Luke interrupted us. "Jackson was just an accident waiting to happen. He totally ruined her."

"Just shut your big fat mouth, Luke Castellan, instead of kissing girls with it," Silena snapped at him.

"Whatever," he mumbled, walking straight through crowds of amused students.

"Thanks a lot. Both of you," I said to Silena and Katie. They both smiled.

"Don't mention it. Luke's been an ass since you dumped him anyway," Katie said.

The bell rang, signaling that we should head to first period class.

"Talk to you later," Silena said, hugging both of us before walking down the hallway.

"Some morning," I muttered to Katie as we began walking to class.

"Yeah. Goode hasn't been the same since you and Percy got together," she replied.

I nodded slowly, my thoughts drifting off to Percy again. Katie noticed my quiet expression and she patted my shoulder.

"I know you love him. And I know that he loves you too."

"I would've believed that before. But now... I don't know."

"Well, I still believe he does," she admitted honestly. "Even if he did start paying you attention because of a bet, I think his feelings eventually changed. I think that towards the end, he ended up falling in love with you. He's just too scared to admit it."

"You know, we never even said it. We never told each other that we love each other," I admitted. "I guess we were both scared."

But I know now why I keep thinking about him, why my feeling for him never faded or changed. I now know why my heart would flutter every time I hear his name or every time I see something that reminds me of him. I know now that it's all because I love him.

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**ITS NOT OVER YET! Ok so dont be mad at me. next is the epilogue. not telling you whats gonna happen of course :) BUT if i get up to 600 reviews the 600th reviewer gets the epilogue ahead of time ;)**

**reviews makes my dayy :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**i just noticed that i first published this story a year and a week ago :O timne flies when you write a good story. i feel so sad that it's ending...BUT at least thatll mean another story to write :) idk when ill start Rules Of Attraction but itll show up at some point. thanks SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed last chapter and everyone who reviewed over the year and a week this story lasted. its impossible to look through 600+ reviews and inlcude all of your names but just know that i thank you so so much. youre all the reason why i never stopped writing**

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Epilogue

_September 24_

It's only been the first week of college and Annabeth already has a ton of homework. Even if it's only a Friday, her professors weren't hesitant to assign a fifteen-page essay, a six-page packet of calculus, a five-page history report, and a lab report. While her other classmates simply complain about the workload and procrastinate, she's already halfway done.

_Thank __the __gods __my __parents __are __both __professors_, she thinks to herself.

Just as she finishes the last problem in the calculus packet, her cell phone rings. She picks it up while finishing the problem.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Erica from the Psychiatric Center. Matthew and Bobby were just asking if you'll visit them before dinner."

Glancing at her alarm clock, she checked the time. 3:24 PM. She can visit her brothers for a couple of hours, return back to her dorm and still finish most of her homework.

'Tell them I'll be there soon."

While Erica was leading Annabeth to Matthew and bobby's room, she told Annabeth about their behavior.

"Both of them are polite when necessary, but they're still a bit too rambunctious," she informed her. "They're still having trouble concentrating in class, especially in math. So, I hired a tutor for them."

They walk in front of room 249 and Erica knocks on the door.

"Come in!" someone yells.

Erica opens the door and Annabeth follows her inside. Bobby and Mathew are sitting in front of a guy whose back was to Annabeth. But she already knows who it is.

"Annabeth!" Bobby exclaims, dropping his pencil and running towards her. Matthew copies him and starts running. Annabeth stretches out her arms and embraces her brothers while watching the guy stand up and turn around. She caught her breath when she saw the wavy black hair, tan skin, and eyes the color of the sparkling Atlantic Ocean.

"Percy," she says softly, mostly saying it to herself, as if she's still trying to convince herself that he's really right in front of her. He gives her a smile, a small and nervous one, but a smile nevertheless. It was hard for her not to hear the loud, thumping beat of her racing heart.

"Annabeth," he says to her, studying her with his eyes, wondering what else to say.

"We'll leave you two alone," Matthew speaks up, already walking towards the door and Bobby follows him. Once they're out the door, both of their cheeks are flushing bright pink. Annabeth clears her throat and tries to stop her blushing.

_It__'__s __almost __been __a __year __since __I __last __saw __her __and __she __hasn__'__t __changed __a __bit_, Percy thinks to himself. Yes, he's seen several tan, curly-haired blondes back in Los Angeles, but none of them had her beautiful grey eyes, the same honey colored hair, her smart brain, her infectious laugh. No one in the world could ever be like her and there will never be anyone as special as her.

She walks up to him, close enough that he can smell her lemon shampoo and a subtle smell of perfume. He resists the urge to hold her, to kiss her. _If __she __still l__oves __me, __she__'__ll __kiss __me __first_, he thinks. She leans in closer, her mouth just inches away from his…

She pulls back at the last second and the next thing he knows, her fist greets his face. Caught by surprise, the impact sends him staggering backwards. It didn't hurt much, but he still caresses his cheek.

"Ow! What in Hades was that for?" he exclaims.

"Sorry," she answers, looking genuinely guilty. "I just had to get that out."

"Don't tell me you still remember?"

"No, I completely forgot about the only guy I thought who understood and really cared about and how he just left, saying that our entire relationship was a lie," she says sarcastically, now frowning and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'll admit that was a stupid question. But you need to know that I didn't mean it," he tries to tell her, but she just groans in frustration.

"I don't get it. First, you told me that our relationship was a lie. Now you're telling me that was a lie too?"

"Alright, since there's no point in trying to explain myself with reasons, let me just say it. Yes, I did try to get closer to you just to have sex and win this bet. But along the way, somehow... I fell in love with you," he says, praying to the gods that she can see the honesty in his eyes.

"Really?" she asks, looking skeptical, but her eyes show that she wants it to be true.

"Yes. I love your blonde hair, your grey eyes. I love hearing you laugh and making you smile. Hell, that's the reason I act so stupid sometimes, to hear you laugh. I love how athletic you are, how smart you are. I love it when you call me Seaweed Brain and when you tease me and I tease you. I love being with you and being around other girls only made me realize how much I love you," he says all in a rushed rhythm.

She walks up to him again and he automatically put his hand up in front of his face. She laughed softly.

"I'm not going to hurt you this time," she assures him, pulling his arm down so that she can see his face. "I missed you so much. Even though what you said before hurt me, I never thought about moving on or about forgetting about you. I just couldn't."

He smiles slowly and he leans down to kiss her, but she gently pushes him back.

"But, you still need to work on getting my trust back," she tells him, then pulling him close again and smiles. "But I still love you."

Just before she kisses him, he pulls away and starts to kneel on the floor.

"Oh gods, Percy," she whispers, covering her face to hide her blushing. He grabs one of her hands and looks into her eyes.

"Annabeth Chase, I know that I still have to work hard on gaining your trust again and proving myself to you, but I swear on the River Styx that I'll spend the rest of my life proving that I love you. So, when we graduate from college, will you marry me?"

Annabeth swallows nervously and can't stop herself from blushing. She's almost at a loss for words, but she builds up the strength to say one more word.

"Yes."

Percy gets up, wraps his arms around her, and finally kisses her. When their lips meet, it's like fireworks exploded and everything was finally back in place. They never wanted to stop, never wanted to pull away, never wanted to leave each other.

"_S 'agapó tóso polý _(I love you so much)," she says to him when they pull away.

"_Sas agapó me óli mou tin kardiá_ (I love you with all of my heart)," he says to her.

And they both meant it.

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**Aw, cue the fluff! and that my readers is the end..for now. IMPORTANT: for the sequel there will be Jiper and a little bit of Percabeth. sorry to those who wanted Thalico but I promise to do a story for them someday. Thanks so much to all of those who read, reviewed, followed, and favorited! Till next time**

**-Ayesa**


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